word meaning example sentence

part of speech

abnormal not normal for the human This amount of weight loss
adj body is abnormal for women your age.

ache pain that won't go away I can't sleep because my knees ache in
noun/verb the night.

acute quick to become severe/bad We knew the baby was coming right
adj away because the woman's labour pains
were acute.

allergy noun a body's abnormal reaction Your son is extremely allergicto peanuts.
allergic adj to certain foods or
environmental substances
(eg causes a rash)

ambulance emergency vehicle that We called the ambulancewhen Josh

noun rushes people to a hospital stopped breathing.

amnesia a condition that causes I can't remember the accident because I

noun people to lose their memory had amnesia.

amputation noun permanent removal of a limb We had to amputate his leg because the
amputate verb infection spread so quickly.

anaemia noun occurs when the body I have low energy because I am anaemic.
anaemic adj doesn't have enough red
blood cells

antibiotics medication that kills bacteria My throat infection went away after I
noun and cures infections started the antibiotics.

anti-depressant medication that helps relieve The anti-depressants helped me get on

noun anxiety and sadness with life after Lucy died.
 appointment a scheduled meeting with a I've made you an appointment with a
noun medical professional specialist in three week's time.

arthritis a disease that causes the My grandmother can't knit anymore

noun joints to become swollen because the arthritis in her hands is so
and crippled bad.

asthma (attack) a condition that causes a I carry an inhaler when I run because I
noun blockage of the airway and have asthma.
makes it difficult for a person
to breathe

bacteria a disease-causing organism To prevent the spread of bacteria it is

noun important that nurses wash their hands
often.

bedsore wounds that develop on a If you don't get up and take a walk, you
noun patient's body from lying in will develop painful bedsores.
one place for too long

benign not harmful (not cancerous) We're hoping that the tests will show that
adj the lump in your breast is benign.

biopsy removal of human tissue in The biopsy ruled out a number of

noun order to conduct certain illnesses.
medical tests

blood count the amount of red and white You will be happy to know that
noun blood cells a person has your blood count is almost back to
normal.

blood donor a person who gives blood to Blood donors have to answer questions
noun a blood bank or other person about their medical history.

blood pressure the rate at which blood flows High blood pressure puts you at risk of
noun through the body (high/low) having a heart attack.
 brace a device that holds injured You will probably always have to wear
noun body parts in place a brace on your ankle when you jog.

breech position of an unborn baby We thought it was going to be

adj in which the feet are down a breech birth, but the baby turned
and the head is up himself around.

broken a bone that is divided in two We thought it was just a sprain, but it
adj or more pieces as a result of turned out his leg was broken.
an injury

bruise noun injured body tissue that is The woman was badly bruised when she
bruised adj visible underneath the skin came into the emergency room.

Caesarean section, C-section procedure that involves The baby was so large that we had to
noun removing a baby from its perform a Caesarean section.
mother through an incision
in the woman's lower
abdomen

cancer disease caused by the There are many different options when it
noun uncontrollable growth of comes to treating cancer.
cells

cardiopulmonary restoring a person's breath You saved your brother's life by

resuscitation (CPR) and circulation performing CPR.
noun

cast a hard bandage that is My leg was in a cast for graduation.

noun wrapped around a broken
bone to keep it in place

chapel, chapeline a place where loved ones If you want a place to pray, the chapel is
noun can go to pray for a patient's on the third floor.
recovery;
a priest who visits patients in
the hospital
 chemotherapy type of treatment used on My mother has already had three rounds
noun cancer patients of chemotherapy.

chickenpox a virus commonly contracted It is best to get chickenpoxas a child so

noun by children, characterized by that you don't get it worse as an adult.
itchy spots all over the body

coroner a person who determines We only call the coroner if we think a

noun the cause of death after a death is suspicious.
person dies

critical condition requiring immediate and You can't see her right now; she's
noun constant medical attention in critical condition.

crutches objects that people with I'd rather hop on one foot than
noun injured legs or feet use to use crutches.
help them walk

cyst a sac in the body-tissue filled We're going to remove the cysts just to
noun with fluid (sometimes be on the safe side.
diseased)

deaf unable to hear The accident left the patient

adj both deaf and blind.

deficiency a lack of something The tests show that you have an

noun necessary for one's health iron deficiency.

dehydrated in need of water It is easy for the elderly to

adj become dehydrated in this heat.

dementia loss of mental capacity It is hard to watch a loved one suffering

noun with dementia.

diabetes type of disease typically People with diabetes have to constantly

noun involving insulin deficiency check their blood sugar levels.
 diagnosis medical explanation of an The doctor would prefer to share
noun illness or condition the diagnosis with the patient himself.

discomfort experiencing pain This pain medication should relieve some

noun of your discomfort.

disease a medical disorder that is I understand that this diseaseruns in your

noun harmful to a person's health family.

dislocated when a bone is temporarily You will have to wear a sling because of
adj separated from its joint your dislocatedshoulder.

emergency a medical problem that It is important that children know which

noun needs immediate attention number to dial in case of an emergency.

ER (emergency room) the hospital room used for The child was rushed into the ER after he
noun treating patients with had a severe allergic reaction to a bee
immediate and life- sting.
threatening injuries

external on the outside This cream is for external use only. Do

adj not get it near your ears, eyes, or mouth.

false negative a test that incorrectly comes We had two false negativepregnancy
noun back negative tests, so we didn't know we were having
adj a baby.

family history medical background of a The doctor was concerned about

noun person's family members my family history of skin cancer.

fatal causing death The doctor made a fatal error when he

adj wrote the wrong prescription.

fever noun higher than normal body He is very feverish, and his temperature
feverish adj temperature is near danger point.
 flu (influenza) many types of respiratory or People who have the flushould not visit
noun intestinal infections passed hospital patients.
on through a virus

fracture noun broken or cracked bone Your wrist is fractured and needs a cast.
fractured adj

germ a micro-organism, especially Flowers are not allowed in the ward to

noun one that causes disease avoid the risk of germs being brought in.

genetic a medical condition or The disease is part geneticand part

adj physical feature that is environmental.
passed on in the family

growth a ball of tissue that grows That growth on your shoulder is starting
noun bigger than normal, either to worry me.
on or under the skin

heart attack instance in which blood People who smoke are at greater risk of
noun stops pumping through the having a heart attack.
heart

HIV the virus that infects the HIV can be passed down from the mother
noun human T-cells and leads to to her fetus.
AIDS

hives bumps that appear on the I broke out in hives after I ate that potato
noun surface of the skin during an casserole.
allergic reaction

illness noun general term for any Her illness went away when she started
ill adj condition that makes a eating better.
person feel sick for a certain
period of time

immune system the parts of the body that You can't have visitors because
noun fight diseases, infections, your immune system is low.
and viruses
 immunizationnoun an injection that protects Babies are immunized three times in
immunize verb against a specific disease their first year.

incision cut in the body made during I had to have stitches to close
noun surgery the incision.

inconclusive unclear We have to do more x-rays because the

adj first ones were inconclusive.

infant young baby The nurse will demonstrate how to bathe

noun an infant.

infection noun diseased area of the body The wound should be covered when you
infected adj (viral or bacterial) swim to prevent it from
becoming infected.

inflamed appearance (red and My right ankle was so inflamed it was

adj swollen) of an injured body twice the size of my left one.
part

injury damage to the body Her injuries were minor; just a few cuts
noun and bruises.

intensive care unit (ICU) section of the hospital where She will remain in the ICU until she can
noun patients get constant breathe on her own.
attention and doctors rely on
specialized equipment

internal under the skin, inside the The doctors will be monitoring her for
adj organs any internal bleeding.

itchy feeling discomfort on the If you are allergic to this medication your
adj skin's surface skin will get red and itchy.

IV a tube that pumps liquids The toddler was so dehydrated that the
noun and medication into a doctor decided to get him on an IV.
patient's body
 lab results tests that come back from a The lab results have come in and you are
noun laboratory and help doctors free to go home.
make a diagnosis

lab (laboratory) place where samples of I'll take these samples down to the lab on
noun blood/urine etc. are taken my way out.
for testing

life support a machine that keeps The woman has severe brain damage and
noun patients alive by helping is currently on life support.
them breathe

life-threatening when injuries and conditions The victim was shot in two places but the
adj are extremely serious bullet wounds are not life-threatening.

light-headed feeling of dizziness and being If you are feeling light-headedagain, lie
adj off-balance, caused by lack down and call me.
of oxygen in the brain

malignant expected to grow and get I'm afraid at least one of the tumours
adj much worse (especially is malignant.
related to cancerous cells)

medical school (med. place where someone trains After eight years of medical school I can
school) to be a doctor finally practice medicine.
noun

newborn an infant that is less than You have to support her neck because
noun three months old she is still a newborn.

numb no feeling in a certain body The needle will make your lower body
adj part feel numb.

OR (operating room) the place where major You must wear a face mask and gloves
noun surgeries and operations while you are in the OR.
take place
 Operation noun a medical procedure that The operation lasted seven hours, but it
operate on verb involves going inside a was successful.
person's body in an attempt
to fix a problem

pain strong discomfort in certain We gave your husband some medicine to

noun areas of the body relieve some of the pain.

pain killer, pain reliever type of medicine that takes You can take two pain killersevery four
noun away some or all of the hours.
discomfort of an illness or
injury

paralyzed unable to move certain areas We thought her legs were paralyzed for
adj of the body life, but she is learning how to walk.

patient a person staying in a hospital The patients in Room 4 are not getting
noun or medical facility along.

pharmacist a person who fills a doctor's Ask the pharmacist if there is a generic
noun prescription and gives brand of this medication.
people advice about
medication

pharmacy, drugstore a place where people go to You should be able to buy a bandage at
noun buy medication and other the pharmacy.
medical supplies

physician doctor Ask your family physician to refer you to

noun a specialist.

poison noun a substance that is very The child was bitten by

poisonousadj dangerous if it enters the a poisonous snake.
human body

prenatal of the time period leading up The woman was well prepared for labour
adj to giving birth because she took the prenatal classes.
prescriptionnoun the correct amount and type You will need to visit your doctor to get
prescribeverb of medication needed to another prescription.
cure an illness or relieve
symptoms

privacy noun being alone; personal (eg You will have to pay for a private hospital
private adj test results) room if you don't want a room-mate.

radiation high energy X-rays that If the radiation doesn't kill all of the
noun destroy cancer cells abnormal cells, the cancer will come
back.

residency part of a doctor's training John is a resident under Dr Brown.

resident that takes place in the
noun hospital;
a student working under a
doctor

routine check-up a doctor's appointment to I'd like to see you a year from now for
noun check a person's general a routine check-up.
health

scrubs plain uniform (usually green, I have some extra scrubs in my locker.
noun white, or blue) worn by
medical professionals

scrub up carefully wash hands before I have to scrub up and get ready for
verb and after seeing a patient surgery.

second opinion input from a second doctor I went to another doctor to get a second
noun about an illness or symptom opinion about these headaches.

seizure sudden violent movements People who suffer from epilepsy are
noun or unconsciousness caused prone to seizures.
by electrical signal
malfunction in the brain

shock body not getting enough The woman was in shock after being
noun blood flow pulled from the river.
 side effects other symptoms that might One of the side effects of antidepressants
noun occur as a result of a certain is a loss of appetite.
medication or procedure

sore painful I have a sore throat and a runny nose.

adj

spasm the uncontrollable tightening Ever since I injured my leg I've been
noun of a muscle having muscle spasms in my upper thigh.

specialist a doctor that is an expert in My family doctor is sending me to

noun a certain kind of medicine a specialist.

sprain an injury (less serious than a I sprained my knee playing soccer.

noun/verb break) to a joint (ankle,
wrist, knee etc)

stable condition a patient is stable if their You can see your husband now; he is in
noun medical condition is no a stable condition.
longer changing rapidly

sting sharp, temporary pain It may sting when I insert the needle.
noun/verb

stress noun worry that causes muscles to You need to take some time off work and
stressed adj tighten and blood pressure relieve some of your stress.
to rise

swellingnoun ligaments (parts that hold I knew my ankle was sprained because it
swollen adj the joints together) growing was so swollen.
bigger and rounder after an
injury to a joint

symptoms pain or physical changes that You have all of the symptoms of a
noun occur because of an illness diabetic.
or disease
 temperature amount of heat measured in We brought Jesse to emergency because
noun a body; higher than normal he was running a (high) temperature.
temperature

tender painful when touched or The incision was tender after the surgery.
adj used

test results medical information that The test results came back negative. You
noun helps doctors understand a aren't pregnant.
patient's condition or body

therapy treatment aimed at I was able to go back to work a few weeks

noun improving a person's mental after starting the therapy.
or physical condition

transplant moving of an organ from one The heart transplant saved your life.
noun human to another

ultrasound a test that examines the The ultrasound shows that we are
noun body's internal organs and expecting a baby boy.
processes using sound waves
(often used during
pregnancies)

umbilical cord the lifeline from the mother I had an emergency C-section because
noun to the fetus (when cut at the umbilical cord was wrapped around
birth this forms the belly the baby's neck.
button)

unconscious alive, but appearing to be I hit my head on the steering wheel and
adj asleep and unaware of the was still unconsciouswhen the
surroundings ambulance arrived.

urine sample a small amount of the body's The urine sample tells us how much
noun liquid waste that is tested for alcohol is in your blood.
different medical reasons
 vein the thin tubes that transport I'm just looking for the best veinin which
noun blood around the body and to insert the needle.
back to the heart

virus a dangerous organism that The virus is contractable through the

noun causes the spread of minor exchange of bodily fluids.
and major diseases

visiting hours time of day when friends and I'm afraid you'll have to come back
noun family are allowed to visit during visiting hours.
patients in hospital

vomit discharge of a person The pregnant woman can't

noun/verb stomach contents through stop vomiting.
the mouth

ward a section of a hospital or I should warn you that we're entering the
noun health facility where patients mental health ward.
stay

wheelchair a chair on wheels used for If you get in the wheelchair I'll take you
noun transporting patients from down to see the garden.
place to place

wound noun injury to body ("flesh The wounded soldiers are being airlifted
woundedadj wound" means not deep) to the hospital.

x-ray a photograph of a person's The technician took x-rays of my shoulder

noun/verb bones and organs to make sure it wasn't broken.