Vocabulary | Vocab.

Quiz | Body | Body Quiz

Supplies | Specialists | Diagnosis | Visiting | Appointments

Vocabulary
Word
part of speech Meaning Example sentence

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

ache pain that won't go away I can't sleep because my knees

noun/verb ache in the night.

acute quick to become severe/bad We knew the baby was coming

adj right away because the woman's
labour pains were acute.

allergy noun a body's abnormal reaction to Your son is extremely allergic

allergic adj certain foods or environmental to peanuts.
substances (eg causes a rash)

ambulance emergency vehicle that rushes We called the ambulance when

noun people to a hospital Josh stopped breathing.

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

noun lose their memory because I had amnesia.

amputation noun permanent removal of a limb We had to amputate his leg

amputate verb because the infection spread so
quickly.

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

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

anti-depressant medication that helps relieve The anti-depressants helped

noun anxiety and sadness me get on with life after Lucy
died.

appointment a scheduled meeting with a medical I've made you an appointment

noun professional with a specialist in three week's
time.

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

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

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

bacteria a disease-causing organism To prevent the spread of

noun bacteria it is important that
nurses wash their hands often.

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

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

biopsy removal of human tissue in order to The biopsy ruled out a number
noun conduct certain medical tests of illnesses.

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

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

blood pressure the rate at which blood flows High blood pressure puts you
noun through the body (high/low) at risk of having a heart attack.

brace a device that holds injured body You will probably always have
noun parts in place to wear a brace on your ankle
when you jog.

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

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

broken a bone that is divided in two or We thought it was just a sprain,

adj more pieces as a result of an injury but it turned out his leg was
broken.

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

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

cancer disease caused by the There are many different

noun uncontrollable growth of cells options when it comes to
 treating cancer.

cardiopulmonary restoring a person's breath and You saved your brother's life by
resuscitation (CPR) circulation performing CPR.
noun

cast a hard bandage that is wrapped My leg was in a cast for

noun around a broken bone to keep it in graduation.
place

chapel, chapeline a place where loved ones can go to If you want a place to pray, the
noun pray for a patient's recovery; chapel is on the third floor.
a priest who visits patients in the
hospital

chemotherapy type of treatment used on cancer My mother has already had

noun patients three rounds of chemotherapy.

chickenpox a virus commonly contracted by It is best to get chickenpox as a

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

coroner a person who determines the cause We only call the coroner if we
noun of death after a person dies think a death is suspicious.

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

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

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

deaf unable to hear The accident left the patient

adj both deaf and blind.

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

noun suffering with dementia.

diabetes type of disease typically involving People with diabetes have to

noun insulin deficiency constantly check their blood
sugar levels.

diagnosis medical explanation of an illness or The doctor would prefer to

noun condition share the diagnosis with the
 patient himself.

discomfort experiencing pain This pain medication should

noun relieve some of your
discomfort.

disease a medical disorder that is harmful I understand that this disease

noun to a person's health runs in your family.

dislocated when a bone is temporarily You will have to wear a sling

adj separated from its joint because of your dislocated
shoulder.

emergency a medical problem that needs It is important that children

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

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

external on the outside This cream is for external use

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

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

family history medical background of a person's The doctor was concerned

noun family members about my family history of skin
cancer.

fatal causing death The doctor made a fatal error

adj when he wrote the wrong
prescription.

fever noun higher than normal body He is very feverish, and his
feverish adj temperature temperature is near danger
point.

flu (influenza) many types of respiratory or People who have the flu should
noun intestinal infections passed on not visit hospital patients.
through a virus

fracture noun broken or cracked bone Your wrist is fractured and

fractured adj needs a cast.

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

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

genetic a medical condition or physical The disease is part genetic and

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

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

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

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

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

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

immune system the parts of the body that fight You can't have visitors because
noun diseases, infections, and viruses your immune system is low.

immunization noun an injection that protects against a Babies are immunized three
immunize verb specific disease times in 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

adj because the first ones were
inconclusive.

infant young baby The nurse will demonstrate how

noun to bathe an infant.

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

inflamed appearance (red and swollen) of an My right ankle was so inflamed

adj injured body part it was twice the size of my left
one.

injury damage to the body Her injuries were minor; just a

noun few cuts and bruises.

intensive care unit section of the hospital where She will remain in the ICU until
(ICU) patients get constant attention and she can breathe on her own.
noun doctors rely on specialized
equipment
internal under the skin, inside the organs The doctors will be monitoring
adj her for any internal bleeding.

itchy feeling discomfort on the skin's If you are allergic to this

adj surface medication your skin will get
red and itchy.

IV a tube that pumps liquids and The toddler was so dehydrated

noun medication into a patient's body that the doctor decided to get
him on an IV.

lab results tests that come back from a The lab results have come in
noun laboratory and help doctors make a and you are free to go home.
diagnosis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OR (operating room) the place where major surgeries and You must wear a face mask and
noun operations take place gloves while you are in the OR.

operation noun a medical procedure that involves The operation lasted seven
operate on verb going inside a person's body in an hours, but it was successful.
attempt to fix a problem

pain strong discomfort in certain areas We gave your husband some

noun of the body medicine to relieve some of the
 pain.

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

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

patient a person staying in a hospital or The patients in Room 4 are not

noun medical facility getting along.

pharmacist a person who fills a doctor's Ask the pharmacist if there is a

noun prescription and gives people generic brand of this
advice about medication medication.

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

physician doctor Ask your family physician to

noun refer you to a specialist.

poison noun a substance that is very dangerous The child was bitten by a
poisonous adj if it enters the human body poisonous snake.

prenatal of the time period leading up to The woman was well prepared
adj giving birth for labour because she took the
prenatal classes.

prescription noun the correct amount and type of You will need to visit your
prescribe verb medication needed to cure an doctor to get another
illness or relieve symptoms prescription.

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

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

residency part of a doctor's training that takes John is a resident under Dr

resident place in the hospital; Brown.
noun a student working under a doctor

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

scrubs plain uniform (usually green, white, I have some extra scrubs in my
noun or blue) worn by medical locker.
professionals
scrub up carefully wash hands before and I have to scrub up and get
verb after seeing a patient ready for surgery.

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

seizure sudden violent movements or People who suffer from

noun unconsciousness caused by epilepsy are prone to seizures.
electrical signal malfunction in the
brain

shock body not getting enough blood flow The woman was in shock after
noun being pulled from the river.

side effects other symptoms that might occur as One of the side effects of
noun a result of a certain medication or antidepressants is a loss of
procedure appetite.

sore painful I have a sore throat and a runny

adj nose.

spasm the uncontrollable tightening of a Ever since I injured my leg I've

noun muscle been having muscle spasms in
my upper thigh.

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

noun certain kind of medicine to a specialist.

sprain an injury (less serious than a break) I sprained my knee playing

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

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

sting sharp, temporary pain It may sting when I insert the

noun/verb needle.

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

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

symptoms pain or physical changes that occur You have all of the symptoms
noun because of an illness or disease of a diabetic.

temperature amount of heat measured in a body; We brought Jesse to emergency

noun higher than normal temperature because he was running a (high)
temperature.
tender painful when touched or used The incision was tender after
adj the surgery.

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

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

noun person's mental or physical few weeks after starting the
condition therapy.

transplant moving of an organ from one The heart transplant saved

noun human to another your life.

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

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

unconscious alive, but appearing to be asleep I hit my head on the steering

adj and unaware of the surroundings wheel and was still
unconscious when the
ambulance arrived.

urine sample a small amount of the body's liquid The urine sample tells us how
noun waste that is tested for different much alcohol is in your blood.
medical reasons

vein the thin tubes that transport blood I'm just looking for the best
noun around the body and back to the vein in which to insert the
heart needle.

virus a dangerous organism that causes The virus is contractable

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

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

vomit discharge of a person stomach The pregnant woman can't stop

noun/verb contents through the mouth vomiting.

ward a section of a hospital or health I should warn you that we're

noun facility where patients stay entering the mental health
ward.
wheelchair a chair on wheels used for If you get in the wheelchair I'll
noun transporting patients from place to take you down to see the
place garden.

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

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

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