Surgeon wipes around bowel openings to take a sample (4)
I believe the answer is:
swab
'take a sample' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't see how one could define the other.
'surgeon wipes around bowel openings' is the wordplay.
'openings' indicates taking the first letters (I've seen 'opening' mean this).
The first letters of 'surgeon wipes around bowel' is 'SWAB'.
'to' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for swab that I've seen before include "Specimen" , "Wound-cleaner" , "Small piece of cotton used to cleanse a wound" , "Cleaning implement" , "Cloth for cleaning wounds" .)