B176 nouns : medical instruments
scalpel
a small knife used in surgery
forceps
an instrument like scissors which can be used by dentists for pulling out teeth, or by surgeons for taking hold of things
probe
a long thin metal instrument with a blunt end, used by doctors for learning about the depth and direction of a wound, etc
syringe
a sort of very thin pipe used in medicine and science into which liquid can be drawn and from which it can be pushed out
needle
a very thin hollow pointed tube (esp at the end of a hypodermic syringe) which is pushed into someone’s skin to put a liquid (esp medicine) into the body
hypodermic needle/syringe
a needle/syringe for putting a liquid under the skin into the body
suture
1 a type of thread used to stitch a wound together
2 a stitch made with this
(cat)gut
a strong thread of usu man-made materials used for sutures (and as strings for musical instruments and tennis rackets)
cotton wool, cotton
a soft mass of cotton which has not been spun into thread, esp used for cleaning parts of the body or putting medical liquids on to it
surgical spirit
alcohol used for cleaning wounds or skin (as in hospitals)
anaesthetic, anesthetic
a substance that makes one unable to feel pain, heat, etc, either in the whole body (general anaesthetic) or in a limited area (local anaesthetic)
stethoscope
a medical instrument with two pipelike parts to be fitted on to the ears and another to be placed on the chest, so that the doctor may hear the sound of the heartbeat
B177 nouns & verbs, eic : keeping things clean
hygiene
1 the rules for clean and healthy living:
She studies hygiene as part of her domestic science course.
2 cleanness; freedom from germs:
The hygiene of this kitchen isn’t very good.
hygienic
free from germs
-ally [adv] un- [neg]
sanitation
1 general and public hygiene:
Good sanitation is necessary for everyone’s health.
Bad sanitation includes poor sewerage and dirty streets.
2 the arrangements for removing human waste products from buildings by systems of pipes:
The sanitation here is rather old and badly-kept, isn’t it?
sanitary
1 free from dirt
in- [neg]
2 concerned with the protection of health
disinfect
to kill the infectious germs in (a wound, place, etc):
Has the room been disinfected yet?
disinfectant
a chemical, usu in liquid form, which disinfects:
Use this disinfectant to clean the wound.
sterilize, ise
to make (medical instruments, etc) free from all very small, sometimes harmful, living things (germs and bacteria):
All the material and tools used in hospital operations are sterilized before use.
sterilization, -isation
B178 nouns & verbs : medical activities
examination
(a period of) time spent looking at a patient in order to make a diagnosis of his or her condition:
He had a thorough examination; two doctors checked him over.
We must give the patient a very thorough examination.
diagnosis
the process or result of diagnosing:
The doctor's diagnosis was anaemia and he prescribed a course of treatment.
Various diagnoses were made but no one was certain what was wrong with the patient.
symptom
a sign in the body, usu of a change from normal, showing that a patient is ill or what illness he or she has:
These are the symptoms of smallpox, I'm afraid.
All the symptoms point io cancer.
symptomatic
serving as a symptom
medical
a medical examination:
The children have all had their school medicals.
It will soon be time for your next medical.
checkup
a usu general medical examination:
He went to his doctor for his annual checkup.
You look tired and ill; why don’t you have a checkup?
test
1 a partial medical examination:
He had an eye test last week.
2 to give such a test to:
The optician tested the child’s eyes.
3 chemical checks helping in a diagnosis:
We have run a number of tests but are not yet sure what is wrong with him.
They did a blood test and a urine test.
operation
the cutting of the body in order to put something right or remove a diseased part:
The surgeon performed the operation with calm skill.
He had a minor eye operation last year.
operate
to perform a surgical operation:
The surgeon operated (on the patient) last night.
We must operate immediately, Nurse.
post-mortem
1 a surgical examination of a person after death:
The post-mortem showed that he had died of liver poisoning.
2 a discussion of past events in order to decide how goad or bad they were:
Let's have a post-mortem on the course.
PM abbrev
autopsy
a post-mortem
B179 nouns : medical places, etc
hospital
a place where people who are seriously ill or injured are treated and nursed:
The doctor decided that she must go to hospital; she needed treatment which could not be given to her at home or in his clinic.
Hospital food isn’t always very interesting.
hospitalize,-ise
to send or admit (a person) to a hospital
-ization, -isation
infirmary
1 a hospital:
She works in the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow
2 (in a school or other institution) a room used for people who are sick or injured
clinic
1a (part of) a hospitat or similar place where medical advice and treatment are given
b a group of people, esp doctors, who give medical treatment, or their place of work:
She attends the Clinic once a month.
He has opened a private clinic in London.
The doctors have their own clinic where poorer people are treated.
2 an occasion in a hospital when medical students are taught:
Are you attending his clinic tomorrow?
3 a class or group engaged in special work to help people:
He attends a speech clinic to get rid of his stammer.
ward
a separate usu large room in a hospital, where several patients are kept in bed:
Which sister is in charge of this ward?
Matron is in the children’s ward at the moment.
Hospital wards are usually very clean places.
(operating) theatre
the room where operations are performed in a hospital
casualty (ward, department)
the place in a hospital where people hurt in accidents are taken for treatment:
They rushed her to casualty but she was dead on arrival.
outpatients (department)
the place in a hospital where people attend for medical examination and treatment without staying overnight:
You are wanted in Outpatients, Nurse.
surgery
1 the place where one or more doctors see patients:
The doctor's surgery was crowded.
2 the time when this takes place:
Surgery is at 7 pm.
consulting room
the room in a surgery where a doctor sees his patients
waiting room
the room in a surgery where patients wait to see a doctor
sickbay
a place for sick people, on a ship, in a boarding school, etc:
He's in sickbay at the moment, but should be on duty again next week.
sickroom
the room in a house where a person is lying ill:
Try to keep the children away from the sickroom as much as possible.
sickbed
the bed of a sick person
sick list
a list of persons who are sick:
The sick list at the factory is pretty long this week.
on the sick list
in poor health:
Mrs Smith has been on the sick list for weeks.
ambulance
a vehicle for carrying sick or injured people to hospital:
an ambulance driver
stretcher
a frame, usu made of two poles and one large piece of strong cloth, for carrying someone who is ill or has been hurt:
They put her on a stretcher.
stretcher bearer
a person carrying a stretcher
B180 nouns & verbs : relating to childbirth
childbirth
the process or act of giving birth to a child:
Childbirth can be a painful but satisfying experience for a woman.
She has had two difficult childbirths.
labour, labor
the process immediately before the act of giving birth:
She has been in labour for 7 hours.
Her labour pains began at 2 am.
deliver
1 to help in the birth of:
The midwife had delivered the baby before the doctor arrived.
2 to help to give birth:
She was delivered of a baby girl at 2 am.
delivery
act or occasion of the birth of a child:
The delivery was fairly comfortable.
The maternity hospital had four deliveries during the night.
caesarean (section, birth, operation)
the delivery of a child by cutting the walls of the abdomen and uterus:
She has had two babies; both caesareans.
premature
(of a baby or young animal) born or happening too soon:
The birth was premature.
Premature babies are very delicate.
-ly [adv]
premature birth
a birth that comes before its proper time
stillborn
born dead:
She has given birth to two stillborn children.
miscarriage
the act or occasion of producing stillborn young:
She fell downstairs when she was eight months pregnant and had a miscarriage.
miscarry
to have a miscarriage; to give birth too early:
I’m afraid she has miscarried because of the accident.
abortion
the removal of a foetus from the uterus esp during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy:
She had an abortion; she didn’t want another child.
Abortion is much more easily available nowadays, although there are still powerful religious pressures against it.
abortionist
a (usu skilled) person who brings about an abortion deliberately
abort
1 to give birth too early to (a dead child):
The illness caused the woman to abort (her baby).
2 to cause (a child) to be born too soon or to end a pregnancy too soon, so that'the child cannot live:
The doctor had to abort the baby.
B181 nouns, etc : relating to birth control
birth control
(any method of) preventing unwanted pregnancy:
There are many forms of birth control available today.
contraception
birth control; the act, practice or methods of preventing the producing of children:
Some doctors give advice on contraception.
When they decided to have a child they stopped practising contraception.
contraceptive
1 a drug or any object or material used to prevent conception:
There are various contraceptives available today, some for men to use, some for women.
2 relating to contraception:
There are several contraceptive devices on the market.
the Pill
a contraceptive drug taken by women as a pill:
She's on the Pill: she doesn’t want to have any more children.
condom
a thin rubber covering for the penis to prevent semen entering the vagina:
The condom is a contraceptive (device).
rubber sheath
a condom
sheath
a condom
rubber
a condom
French letter
a condom
coil
a coil-like object fitted inside a woman to prevent her conceiving a child
loop
a piece of metal or plastic put inside a woman to prevent her conceiving a child
IUD (intra-uterine device)
a loop or coil to prevent conception
cap, Dutch cap, diaphragm
a round contraceptive device usu made of rubber fitted inside a woman during and for a period after having sex