vocabulary doctor

8/13/2019 Vocabulary Doctor

1/13

Vocabulary

Wordpart of speech

Meaning Example sentence

abnormaladj

not normal for thehuman body

This amount of weight lossisabnormalfor womenyour age.

achenoun/verb

pain that won't goaway

I can't sleep because myknees achein the night.

acuteadj

quick to becomesevere/bad

We knew the baby wascoming right away becausethe woman's labour pains

were acute.

allergynounallergicadj

a body's abnormalreaction to certainfoods or

environmentalsubstances (egcauses a rash)

Your son isextremely allergictopeanuts.

ambulancenoun

emergencyvehicle thatrushes people to ahospital

We calledthe ambulancewhen Joshstopped breathing.

amnesianoun

a condition thatcauses people tolose their memory

I can't remember theaccident because Ihad amnesia.

amputationnounamputateverb

permanentremoval of a limb

We had to amputatehisleg because the infectionspread so quickly.

anaemianounanaemicadj

occurs when thebody doesn't have

enough red bloodcells

I have low energy becauseI amanaemic.

antibioticsnoun

medication thatkills bacteria and

cures infections

My throat infection wentaway after I started

the antibiotics.

anti-depressant

noun

medication that

helps relieveanxiety andsadness

The anti-

depressantshelped meget on with life after Lucydied.

appointmentnoun

a scheduledmeeting with a

I've made youan appointmentwith a


2/13

medical

professional

specialist in three week's

time.

arthritisnoun

a disease thatcauses the joints

to becomeswollen andcrippled

My grandmother can't knitanymore because

the arthritisin her handsis so bad.

asthma (attack)noun

a condition thatcauses a blockageof the airway andmakes it difficultfor a person to

breathe

I carry an inhaler when Irun because Ihave asthma.

bacterianoun a disease-causingorganism To prevent the spreadof bacteriait is importantthat nurses wash theirhands often.

bedsorenoun

wounds thatdevelop on apatient's body

from lying in oneplace for too long

If you don't get up andtake a walk, you willdevelop painful bedsores.

benign

adj

not harmful (not

cancerous)

We're hoping that the tests

will show that the lump inyour breast isbenign.

biopsynoun

removal of humantissue in order toconduct certainmedical tests

The biopsyruled out anumber of illnesses.

blood countnoun

the amount of redand white bloodcells a person has

You will be happy to knowthat yourblood countisalmost back to normal.

blood donornoun

a person whogives blood to ablood bank or

other person

Blood donorshave toanswer questions abouttheir medical history.

blood pressurenoun

the rate at whichblood flowsthrough the body(high/low)

High blood pressureputsyou at risk of having aheart attack.

brace

noun

a device that

holds injured body

You will probably always

have to wear a braceon


3/13

parts in place your ankle when you jog.

breechadj

position of anunborn baby inwhich the feet are

down and thehead is up

We thought it was going tobe abreechbirth, but thebaby turned himself

around.

brokenadj

a bone that isdivided in two ormore pieces as aresult of an injury

We thought it was just asprain, but it turned out hisleg was broken.

bruisenounbruisedadj

injured bodytissue that isvisible underneath

the skin

The woman wasbadly bruisedwhen shecame into the emergency

room.Caesareansection, C-sectionnoun

procedure thatinvolves removinga baby from itsmother throughan incision in thewoman's lower

abdomen

The baby was so large thatwe had to performa Caesarean section.

cancernoun

disease caused bythe uncontrollable

growth of cells

There are many differentoptions when it comes to

treating cancer.

cardiopulmonaryresuscitation(CPR)noun

restoring aperson's breathand circulation

You saved your brother'slife by performing CPR.

castnoun

a hard bandagethat is wrappedaround a brokenbone to keep it in

place

My leg was in a castforgraduation.

chapel, chapelinenoun

a place whereloved ones can go

to pray for apatient's

recovery;a priest who visitspatients in thehospital

If you want a place to pray,thechapelis on the third

floor.

chemotherapynoun type of treatmentused on cancer My mother has already hadthree rounds


4/13

patients of chemotherapy.

chickenpoxnoun

a virus commonlycontracted bychildren,

characterized byitchy spots allover the body

It is best toget chickenpoxas a childso that you don't get it

worse as an adult.

coronernoun

a person whodetermines thecause of deathafter a persondies

We only call the coronerifwe think a death issuspicious.

critical condition

noun

requiring

immediate andconstant medicalattention

You can't see her right

now; she's incriticalcondition.

crutchesnoun

objects thatpeople withinjured legs orfeet use to help

them walk

I'd rather hop on one footthan usecrutches.

cystnoun

a sac in the body-tissue filled with

fluid (sometimesdiseased)

We're going to removethe cystsjust to be on the

safe side.

deafadj

unable to hear The accident left thepatient bothdeafand blind.

deficiencynoun

a lack ofsomethingnecessary forone's health

The tests show that youhave an iron deficiency.

dehydratedadj in need of water It is easy for the elderly tobecomedehydratedin thisheat.

dementianoun

loss of mentalcapacity

It is hard to watch a lovedone sufferingwith dementia.

diabetesnoun

type of diseasetypically involvinginsulin deficiency

People with diabeteshaveto constantly check theirblood sugar levels.

diagnosisnoun

medicalexplanation of an

The doctor would prefer toshare thediagnosiswith


5/13

illness or

condition

the patient himself.

discomfortnoun

experiencing pain This pain medication shouldrelieve some of

your discomfort.

diseasenoun

a medical disorderthat is harmful toa person's health

I understand thatthis diseaseruns in yourfamily.

dislocatedadj

when a bone istemporarilyseparated from its

joint

You will have to wear asling because ofyour dislocatedshoulder.

emergency

noun

a medical problem

that needsimmediateattention

It is important that children

know which number to dialin case of anemergency.

ER (emergencyroom)noun

the hospital roomused for treatingpatients withimmediate andlife-threateninginjuries

The child was rushed intothe ERafter he had asevere allergic reaction to abee sting.

externaladj

on the outside This cream isfor externaluse only. Donot get it near your ears,eyes, or mouth.

false negativenounadj

a test thatincorrectly comesback negative

We had two falsenegativepregnancy tests,so we didn't know we werehaving a baby.

family history

noun

medical

background of aperson's familymembers

The doctor was concerned

about myfamily historyofskin cancer.

fataladj

causing death The doctor madea fatalerror when hewrote the wrongprescription.

fevernounfeverishadj

higher thannormal bodytemperature

He is very feverish, andhis temperature is neardanger point.

flu (influenza) many types of People who have


6/13

noun respiratory or

intestinalinfections passed

on through a virus

the flushould not visit

hospital patients.

fracturenounfracturedadj

broken or crackedbone

Your wrist is fracturedandneeds a cast.

germnoun

a micro-organism,especially onethat causesdisease

Flowers are not allowed inthe ward to avoid the riskof germsbeing brought in.

geneticadj

a medicalcondition orphysical feature

that is passed onin the family

The disease ispart geneticand partenvironmental.

growthnoun

a ball of tissuethat grows biggerthan normal,either on or underthe skin

That growthon yourshoulder is starting toworry me.

heart attacknoun

instance in whichblood stopspumping through

the heart

People who smoke are atgreater risk of havinga heart attack.

HIVnoun

the virus thatinfects the humanT-cells and leadsto AIDS

HIVcan be passed downfrom the mother to herfetus.

hivesnoun

bumps thatappear on thesurface of the skinduring an allergic

reaction

I broke out in hivesafter Iate that potato casserole.

illnessnounilladj

general term forany condition that

makes a personfeel sick for a

certain period oftime

Her illnesswent awaywhen she started eating

better.

immune systemnoun

the parts of thebody that fight

diseases,infections, and

You can't have visitorsbecause yourimmune

systemis low.


7/13

viruses

immunizationnounimmunizeverb

an injection thatprotects against aspecific disease

Babiesare immunizedthreetimes in their first year.

incisionnoun

cut in the bodymade duringsurgery

I had to have stitches toclose theincision.

inconclusiveadj

unclear We have to do more x-raysbecause the first oneswere inconclusive.

infantnoun

young baby The nurse will demonstratehow to bathe an infant.

infectionnouninfectedadj

diseased area ofthe body (viral orbacterial)

The wound should becovered when you swim toprevent it frombecoming infected.

inflamedadj

appearance (redand swollen) of aninjured body part

My right ankle wasso inflamedit was twicethe size of my left one.

injurynoun

damage to thebody

Her injurieswere minor;just a few cuts and bruises.

intensive careunit (ICU)

noun

section of thehospital where

patients getconstant attention

and doctors relyon specializedequipment

She will remain in the ICUuntil she can breathe on

her own.

internaladj

under the skin,inside the organs

The doctors will bemonitoring her forany internalbleeding.

itchyadj

feeling discomforton the skin'ssurface

If you are allergic to thismedication your skin willget red and itchy.

IV

noun

a tube that pumps

liquids andmedication into apatient's body

The toddler was so

dehydrated that the doctordecided to get him onanIV.

lab resultsnoun

tests that comeback from a

laboratory and

The lab resultshave comein and you are free to go

home.


8/13

help doctors make

a diagnosis

lab (laboratory)noun

place wheresamples of

blood/urine etc.are taken fortesting

I'll take these samplesdown to thelabon my way

out.

life supportnoun

a machine thatkeeps patientsalive by helpingthem breathe

The woman has severebrain damage and iscurrently on life support.

life-threateningadj

when injuries andconditions are

extremely serious

The victim was shot in twoplaces but the bullet

wounds are not life-threatening.

light-headedadj

feeling ofdizziness andbeing off-balance,caused by lack ofoxygen in the

brain

If you are feeling light-headedagain, lie down andcall me.

malignantadj

expected to growand get much

worse (especiallyrelated tocancerous cells)

I'm afraid at least one ofthe tumours is malignant.

medical school(med. school)noun

place wheresomeone trains tobe a doctor

After eight yearsof medical schoolI canfinally practice medicine.

newbornnoun

an infant that isless than threemonths old

You have to support herneck because she is stilla newborn.

numbadj

no feeling in acertain body part

The needle will make yourlower body feel numb.

OR (operatingroom)noun

the place wheremajor surgeriesand operationstake place

You must wear a face maskand gloves while you are inthe OR.

operationnounoperate onverb

a medicalprocedure thatinvolves going

inside a person's

The operationlastedseven hours, but it wassuccessful.


9/13

body in an

attempt to fix aproblem

pain

noun

strong discomfort

in certain areas ofthe body

We gave your husband

some medicine to relievesome of thepain.

pain killer, painrelievernoun

type of medicinethat takes awaysome or all of thediscomfort of anillness or injury

You can take two painkillersevery four hours.

paralyzedadj

unable to movecertain areas of

the body

We thought her legswereparalyzedfor life, but

she is learning how to walk.patientnoun

a person stayingin a hospital ormedical facility

The patientsin Room 4are not getting along.

pharmacistnoun

a person who fillsa doctor'sprescription andgives peopleadvice aboutmedication

Ask the pharmacistifthere is a generic brand ofthis medication.

pharmacy,drugstorenoun

a place wherepeople go to buymedication andother medicalsupplies

You should be able to buy abandage at the pharmacy.

physiciannoun

doctor Ask yourfamily physicianto referyou to a specialist.

poisonnounpoisonousadj a substance thatis very dangerousif it enters thehuman body

The child was bitten bya poisonoussnake.

prenataladj

of the time periodleading up togiving birth

The woman was wellprepared for labourbecause she tooktheprenatalclasses.

prescriptionnounprescribeverb

the correctamount and type

of medication

You will need to visit yourdoctor to get

another prescription.


10/13

needed to cure an

illness or relievesymptoms

privacynoun

privateadj

being alone;

personal (eg testresults)

You will have to pay for

a privatehospital room ifyou don't want a room-mate.

radiationnoun

high energy X-rays that destroycancer cells

If the radiationdoesn't killall of the abnormal cells,the cancer will come back.

residencyresidentnoun

part of a doctor'straining that takesplace in the

hospital;a student workingunder a doctor

John is a residentunderDr Brown.

routine check-upnoun

a doctor'sappointment tocheck a person'sgeneral health

I'd like to see you a yearfrom now for a routinecheck-up.

scrubsnoun

plain uniform(usually green,white, or blue)

worn by medicalprofessionals

I have someextra scrubsin my locker.

scrub upverb

carefully washhands before andafter seeing apatient

I have to scrub upand getready for surgery.

second opinionnoun

input from asecond doctorabout an illness or

symptom

I went to another doctor toget asecondopinionabout these

headaches.

seizurenoun

sudden violentmovements or

unconsciousnesscaused by

electrical signalmalfunction in thebrain

People who suffer fromepilepsy are prone

to seizures.

shock

noun

body not getting

enough blood flow

The woman was

in shockafter being pulledfrom the river.


11/13

side effects

noun

other symptoms

that might occuras a result of a

certain medicationor procedure

One of the side effectsof

antidepressants is a loss ofappetite.

soreadj

painful I have a sorethroat and arunny nose.

spasmnoun

the uncontrollabletightening of amuscle

Ever since I injured my legI've been havingmuscle spasmsin myupper thigh.

specialistnoun

a doctor that is anexpert in a certain

kind of medicine

My family doctor is sendingme to aspecialist.

sprainnoun/verb

an injury (lessserious than abreak) to a joint(ankle, wrist,knee etc)

I sprainedmy kneeplaying soccer.

stable conditionnoun

a patient is stableif their medicalcondition is nolonger changing

rapidly

You can see your husbandnow; he is in a stablecondition.

stingnoun/verb

sharp, temporarypain

It may stingwhen I insertthe needle.

stressnounstressedadj

worry that causesmuscles to tightenand bloodpressure to rise

You need to take sometime off work and relievesome of yourstress.

swellingnoun

swollenadj

ligaments (parts

that hold thejoints together)growing biggerand rounder after

an injury to ajoint

I knew my ankle was

sprained because it wasso swollen.

symptomsnoun

pain or physicalchanges thatoccur because ofan illness or

disease

You have all ofthe symptomsof adiabetic.


12/13

temperature

noun

amount of heat

measured in abody; higher than

normaltemperature

We brought Jesse to

emergency because he wasrunning a

(high)temperature.

tenderadj

painful whentouched or used

The incisionwas tenderafter thesurgery.

test resultsnoun

medicalinformation thathelps doctorsunderstand a

patient's conditionor body

The test resultscameback negative. You aren'tpregnant.

therapynoun

treatment aimedat improving aperson's mentalor physical

condition

I was able to go back towork a few weeks afterstarting the therapy.

transplant

noun

moving of an

organ from onehuman to another

The

heart transplantsavedyour life.

ultrasound

noun

a test that

examines thebody's internalorgans andprocesses usingsound waves(often used during

pregnancies)

The ultrasoundshows

that we are expecting ababy boy.

umbilical cord

noun

the lifeline from

the mother to thefetus (when cut at

birth this formsthe belly button)

I had an emergency C-

section becausethe umbilical cordwas

wrapped around the baby'sneck.

unconsciousadj

alive, butappearing to be

asleep andunaware of thesurroundings

I hit my head on thesteering wheel and was

still unconsciouswhen theambulance arrived.


13/13

urine sample

noun

a small amount of

the body's liquidwaste that is

tested fordifferent medical

reasons

The urine sampletells us

how much alcohol is in yourblood.

veinnoun

the thin tubesthat transportblood around thebody and back to

the heart

I'm just looking for thebest veinin which to insertthe needle.

virus

noun

a dangerous

organism thatcauses the spread

of minor andmajor diseases

The virusis contractable

through the exchange ofbodily fluids.

visiting hoursnoun

time of day whenfriends and family

are allowed tovisit patients in

hospital

I'm afraid you'll have tocome back during visiting

hours.

vomitnoun/verb

discharge of aperson stomach

contents throughthe mouth

The pregnant woman can'tstopvomiting.

wardnoun

a section of ahospital or healthfacility wherepatients stay

I should warn you thatwe're entering the mentalhealth ward.

wheelchairnoun

a chair on wheelsused for

transportingpatients from

place to place

If you get inthe wheelchairI'll take

you down to see thegarden.

woundnoun

woundedadj

injury to body

("flesh wound"means not deep)

The woundedsoldiers are

being airlifted to thehospital.

x-raynoun/verb

a photograph of aperson's bonesand organs

The technician took x-raysof my shoulder tomake sure it wasn'tbroken.

vocabulary doctor

Documents