MEDICAL VOCABULARY

Word
part of speech Meaning Example sentence
abnormal This amount of weight loss is
not normal for the human body
adj abnormal for women your age.
ache I can't sleep because my knees
pain that won't go away
noun/verb ache in the night.
We knew the baby was coming
acute
quick to become severe/bad right away because the woman's
adj
labour pains were acute.
a body's abnormal reaction to
allergy noun Your son is extremely allergic
certain foods or environmental
allergic adj 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.
We had to amputate his leg
amputation noun
permanent removal of a limb because the infection spread so
amputate verb
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.
The anti-depressants helped
anti-depressant medication that helps relieve
me get on with life after Lucy
noun anxiety and sadness
died.
I've made you an appointment
appointment a scheduled meeting with a medical
with a specialist in three week's
noun professional
time.
My grandmother can't knit
arthritis a disease that causes the joints to
anymore because the arthritis
noun become swollen and crippled
in her hands is so bad.
a condition that causes a blockage
asthma (attack) I carry an inhaler when I run
of the airway and makes it difficult
noun 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
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

nurses wash their hands often.

wounds that develop on a patient's If you don't get up and take a
bedsore
body from lying in one place for too walk, you will develop painful
noun
long bedsores.
We're hoping that the tests will
benign
not harmful (not cancerous) show that the lump in your
adj
breast is benign.
biopsy removal of human tissue in order to The biopsy ruled out a number
noun conduct certain medical tests of illnesses.
You will be happy to know that
blood count the amount of red and white blood
your blood count is almost
noun cells a person has
back to normal.
Blood donors have to answer
blood donor a person who gives blood to a blood
questions about their medical
noun bank or other person
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.
You will probably always have
brace a device that holds injured body
to wear a brace on your ankle
noun parts in place
when you jog.
We thought it was going to be a
breech position of an unborn baby in which
breech birth, but the baby
adj the feet are down and the head is up
turned himself around.
We thought it was just a sprain,
broken a bone that is divided in two or
but it turned out his leg was
adj more pieces as a result of an injury
broken.
The woman was badly bruised
bruise noun injured body tissue that is visible
when she came into the
bruised adj underneath the skin
emergency room.
procedure that involves removing a
Caesarean section, The baby was so large that we
baby from its mother through an
C-section had to perform a Caesarean
incision in the woman's lower
noun section.
abdomen
There are many different
cancer disease caused by the uncontrollable
options when it comes to
noun growth of cells
treating cancer.
cardiopulmonary restoring a person's breath and You saved your brother's life by
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

resuscitation (CPR)
circulation performing CPR.
noun
a hard bandage that is wrapped
cast My leg was in a cast for
around a broken bone to keep it in
noun graduation.
place
a place where loved ones can go to
chapel, chapeline pray for a patient's recovery; If you want a place to pray, the
noun a priest who visits patients in the chapel is on the third floor.
hospital
chemotherapy type of treatment used on cancer My mother has already had
noun patients three rounds of chemotherapy.
a virus commonly contracted by It is best to get chickenpox as a
chickenpox
children, characterized by itchy child so that you don't get it
noun
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 legs I'd rather hop on one foot than
noun 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 The accident left the patient
unable to hear
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.
It is easy for the elderly to
dehydrated
in need of water become dehydrated in this
adj
heat.
dementia It is hard to watch a loved one
loss of mental capacity
noun suffering with dementia.
People with diabetes have to
diabetes type of disease typically involving
constantly check their blood
noun insulin deficiency
sugar levels.
The doctor would prefer to
diagnosis medical explanation of an illness or
share the diagnosis with the
noun condition
patient himself.
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

This pain medication should

discomfort
experiencing pain relieve some of your
noun
discomfort.
disease a medical disorder that is harmful to I understand that this disease
noun a person's health runs in your family.
You will have to wear a sling
dislocated when a bone is temporarily
because of your dislocated
adj separated from its joint
shoulder.
It is important that children
emergency a medical problem that needs
know which number to dial in
noun immediate attention
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.
This cream is for external use
external
on the outside only. Do not get it near your
adj
ears, eyes, or mouth.
false negative We had two false negative
a test that incorrectly comes back
noun pregnancy tests, so we didn't
negative
adj know we were having a baby.
The doctor was concerned about
family history medical background of a person's
my family history of skin
noun family members
cancer.
The doctor made a fatal error
fatal
causing death when he wrote the wrong
adj
prescription.
He is very feverish, and his
fever noun higher than normal body
temperature is near danger
feverish adj temperature
point.
many types of respiratory or
flu (influenza) People who have the flu should
intestinal infections passed on
noun not visit hospital patients.
through a virus
fracture noun Your wrist is fractured and
broken or cracked bone
fractured adj needs a cast.
Flowers are not allowed in the
germ a micro-organism, especially one
ward to avoid the risk of germs
noun that causes disease
being brought in.
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

a medical condition or physical

genetic The disease is part genetic and
feature that is passed on in the
adj part environmental.
family
a ball of tissue that grows bigger
growth That growth on your shoulder
than normal, either on or under the
noun is starting to worry me.
skin
heart attack instance in which blood stops People who smoke are at greater
noun pumping through the heart 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.
general term for any condition that
illness noun Her illness went away when she
makes a person feel sick for a
ill adj 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 I had to have stitches to close
cut in the body made during surgery
noun the incision.
We have to do more x-rays
inconclusive
unclear because the first ones were
adj
inconclusive.
infant The nurse will demonstrate how
young baby
noun to bathe an infant.
The wound should be covered
infection noun diseased area of the body (viral or
when you swim to prevent it
infected adj bacterial)
from becoming infected.
My right ankle was so inflamed
inflamed appearance (red and swollen) of an
it was twice the size of my left
adj injured body part
one.
injury Her injuries were minor; just a
damage to the body
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
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

equipment
internal The doctors will be monitoring
under the skin, inside the organs
adj her for any internal bleeding.
If you are allergic to this
itchy feeling discomfort on the skin's
medication your skin will get
adj surface
red and itchy.
The toddler was so dehydrated
IV a tube that pumps liquids and
that the doctor decided to get
noun medication into a patient's body
him on an IV.
tests that come back from a
lab results The lab results have come in
laboratory and help doctors make a
noun 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.
The woman has severe brain
life support a machine that keeps patients alive
damage and is currently on life
noun by helping them breathe
support.
The victim was shot in two
life-threatening when injuries and conditions are
places but the bullet wounds are
adj extremely serious
not life-threatening.
feeling of dizziness and being off-
light-headed If you are feeling light-headed
balance, caused by lack of oxygen
adj again, lie down and call me.
in the brain
expected to grow and get much
malignant I'm afraid at least one of the
worse (especially related to
adj tumours is malignant.
cancerous cells)
medical school (med. After eight years of medical
place where someone trains to be a
school) school I can finally practice
doctor
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 The needle will make your
no feeling in a certain body part
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.
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

attempt to fix a problem

We gave your husband some
pain strong discomfort in certain areas of
medicine to relieve some of the
noun the body
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
We thought her legs were
paralyzed unable to move certain areas of the
paralyzed for life, but she is
adj body
learning how to walk.
patient a person staying in a hospital or The patients in Room 4 are not
noun medical facility getting along.
a person who fills a doctor's Ask the pharmacist if there is a
pharmacist
prescription and gives people advice generic brand of this
noun
about medication medication.
a place where people go to buy
pharmacy, drugstore You should be able to buy a
medication and other medical
noun bandage at the pharmacy.
supplies
physician Ask your family physician to
doctor
noun refer you to a specialist.
poison noun a substance that is very dangerous if The child was bitten by a
poisonous adj it enters the human body poisonous snake.
The woman was well prepared
prenatal of the time period leading up to
for labour because she took the
adj giving birth
prenatal classes.
the correct amount and type of You will need to visit your
prescription noun
medication needed to cure an illness doctor to get another
prescribe verb
or relieve symptoms prescription.
You will have to pay for a
privacy noun being alone; personal (eg test
private hospital room if you
private adj results)
don't want a room-mate.
If the radiation doesn't kill all
radiation high energy X-rays that destroy
of the abnormal cells, the cancer
noun cancer cells
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
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

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.
plain uniform (usually green, white,
scrubs I have some extra scrubs in my
or blue) worn by medical
noun locker.
professionals
scrub up carefully wash hands before and I have to scrub up and get
verb after seeing a patient ready for surgery.
I went to another doctor to get a
second opinion input from a second doctor about an
second opinion about these
noun illness or symptom
headaches.
sudden violent movements or
seizure unconsciousness caused by People who suffer from epilepsy
noun electrical signal malfunction in the are prone to seizures.
brain
shock The woman was in shock after
body not getting enough blood flow
noun being pulled from the river.
other symptoms that might occur as One of the side effects of
side effects
a result of a certain medication or antidepressants is a loss of
noun
procedure appetite.
sore I have a sore throat and a runny
painful
adj nose.
Ever since I injured my leg I've
spasm the uncontrollable tightening of a
been having muscle spasms in
noun muscle
my upper thigh.
specialist a doctor that is an expert in a certain My family doctor is sending me
noun 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.
a patient is stable if their medical
stable condition You can see your husband now;
condition is no longer changing
noun he is in a stable condition.
rapidly
sting It may sting when I insert the
sharp, temporary pain
noun/verb needle.
You need to take some time off
stress noun worry that causes muscles to tighten
work and relieve some of your
stressed adj and blood pressure to rise
stress.
swelling noun ligaments (parts that hold the joints I knew my ankle was sprained
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

together) growing bigger and

swollen adj 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.
We brought Jesse to emergency
temperature amount of heat measured in a body;
because he was running a (high)
noun higher than normal temperature
temperature.
tender The incision was tender after
painful when touched or used
adj the surgery.
medical information that helps
test results The test results came back
doctors understand a patient's
noun negative. You aren't pregnant.
condition or body
treatment aimed at improving a I was able to go back to work a
therapy
person's mental or physical few weeks after starting the
noun
condition therapy.
transplant moving of an organ from one The heart transplant saved
noun human to another your life.
a test that examines the body's
ultrasound internal organs and processes using The ultrasound shows that we
noun sound waves (often used during are expecting a baby boy.
pregnancies)
I had an emergency C-section
the lifeline from the mother to the
umbilical cord because the umbilical cord was
fetus (when cut at birth this forms
noun wrapped around the baby's
the belly button)
neck.
I hit my head on the steering
unconscious alive, but appearing to be asleep and wheel and was still
adj unaware of the surroundings unconscious when the
ambulance arrived.
a small amount of the body's liquid
urine sample The urine sample tells us how
waste that is tested for different
noun much alcohol is in your blood.
medical reasons
the thin tubes that transport blood I'm just looking for the best
vein
around the body and back to the vein in which to insert the
noun
heart needle.
a dangerous organism that causes The virus is contractable
virus
the spread of minor and major through the exchange of bodily
noun
diseases fluids.
MEDICAL VOCABULARY

time of day when friends and family

visiting hours I'm afraid you'll have to come
are allowed to visit patients in
noun back during visiting hours.
hospital
vomit discharge of a person stomach The pregnant woman can't stop
noun/verb contents through the mouth vomiting.
I should warn you that we're
ward a section of a hospital or health
entering the mental health
noun facility where patients stay
ward.
a chair on wheels used for If you get in the wheelchair I'll
wheelchair
transporting patients from place to take you down to see the
noun
place garden.
wound noun injury to body ("flesh wound" The wounded soldiers are being
wounded adj means not deep) airlifted to the hospital.
The technician took x-rays of
x-ray a photograph of a person's bones
my shoulder to make sure it
noun/verb and organs
wasn't broken.