Medical Vocabularies

Here is some essential vocabulary for nurses and medical professionals working in
an English-speaking context. Each word is shown with its part of speech and
meaning, while an example sentence shows the word in context.

word meaning example sentence

part of speech

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

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

noun/verb knees ache in the night.

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

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

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

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

ambulance emergency vehicle that rushes We called the ambulance

noun people to a hospital when Josh stopped
breathing.

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

noun lose their memory accident 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 I have low energy because I
anaemic adj have enough red blood cells am anaemic.

antibiotics medication that kills bacteria and My throat infection went

noun cures infections away after I started the
antibiotics.

anti-depressant medication that helps relieve The anti-depressants

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

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

noun medical professional appointment 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 because I have asthma.
difficult 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
too long painful bedsores.

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

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

noun to conduct certain medical tests number of illnesses.

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

blood donor a person who gives blood to a Blood donors have to

noun blood bank or other person answer questions about their
medical history.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caesarean section, procedure that involves removing The baby was so large that
C-section a baby from its mother through an we had to perform a
noun incision in the woman's lower Caesarean 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
resuscitation (CPR) circulation by 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 If you want a place to pray,
noun to pray for a patient's recovery; the chapel is on the third
a priest who visits patients in the floor.
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

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

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

noun cause of death after a person dies we 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
noun legs or feet use to help them walk than use crutches.

cyst a sac in the body-tissue filled with We're going to remove the
noun fluid (sometimes diseased) cysts 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
noun one's health an 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

noun one 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 The doctor would prefer to

noun or 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

adj separated from its joint sling 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
room) patients with immediate and life- the ER after he had a severe
noun threatening injuries allergic reaction to a bee
sting.

external on the outside This cream is for external

adj use 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

adj error 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
noun intestinal infections passed on should not visit hospital
through a virus patients.

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

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

genetic a medical condition or physical The disease is part genetic

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

growth a ball of tissue that grows bigger That growth on your

noun than normal, either on or under shoulder is starting to worry
the skin me.

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
noun cells and leads to AIDS from the mother to her fetus.

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

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

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

noun surgery close 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

noun how to bathe an infant.

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

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

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

injury damage to the body Her injuries were minor;

noun just a few cuts and bruises.

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

internal under the skin, inside the organs The doctors will be
adj monitoring 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

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

lab results tests that come back from a The lab results have come
noun laboratory and help doctors make in and you are free to go
a diagnosis home.
lab (laboratory) place where samples of I'll take these samples down
noun blood/urine etc. are taken for to the lab on my way out.
testing
life support a machine that keeps patients The woman has severe brain
noun alive 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-
adj balance, caused by lack of oxygen headed again, lie down and
in the brain call me.
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 place where someone trains to be After eight years of medical
(med. school) a doctor school I can finally practice
noun medicine.
newborn an infant that is less than three You have to support her
noun months old neck 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 the place where major surgeries You must wear a face mask
room) and operations take place and gloves while you are in
noun 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
reliever some or all of the discomfort of an killers every four hours.
noun illness or injury
paralyzed unable to move certain areas of We thought her legs were
adj the 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
noun medical facility not getting along.
pharmacist a person who fills a doctor's Ask the pharmacist if there
noun prescription and gives people is a generic brand of this
advice about medication medication.
pharmacy, a place where people go to buy You should be able to buy a
drugstore medication and other medical bandage at the pharmacy.
noun supplies
physician Doctor Ask your family physician
noun to 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
adj giving birth prepared 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
noun cancer cells all of the abnormal cells, the
cancer will come back.
residency part of a doctor's training that John is a resident under Dr
resident takes 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
noun person's general health from now for a routine
check-up.
scrubs plain uniform (usually green, I have some extra scrubs in
noun white, or blue) worn by medical my 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 I went to another doctor to
noun an illness or symptom get a second opinion about
these headaches.
seizure sudden violent movements or People who suffer from
noun unconsciousness caused by epilepsy are prone to
electrical signal malfunction in seizures.
the brain
shock body not getting enough blood The woman was in shock
noun flow after being pulled from the
river.
side effects other symptoms that might occur One of the side effects of
noun as a result of a certain medication antidepressants is a loss of
or procedure appetite.
sore Painful I have a sore throat and a
adj runny nose.
spasm the uncontrollable tightening of a Ever since I injured my leg
noun muscle I've been having muscle
spasms in my upper thigh.
specialist a doctor that is an expert in a My family doctor is sending
noun certain kind of medicine me to a specialist.
sprain an injury (less serious than a I sprained my knee playing
noun/verb break) to a joint (ankle, wrist, soccer.
knee etc)
stable condition a patient is stable if their medical You can see your husband
noun condition is no longer changing now; he is in a stable
rapidly condition.
sting sharp, temporary pain It may sting when I insert
noun/verb the needle.
stress noun worry that causes muscles to You need to take some time
stressed adj tighten and blood pressure to rise off work and relieve some of
your stress.
swelling noun ligaments (parts that hold the I knew my ankle was
swollen adj joints together) growing bigger sprained because it was so
and rounder after an injury to a swollen.
joint
symptoms pain or physical changes that You have all of the
noun occur because of an illness or symptoms of a diabetic.
disease
temperature amount of heat measured in a We brought Jesse to
noun body; higher than normal emergency because he was
temperature running a (high)
temperature.
tender painful when touched or used The incision was tender
adj after the surgery.
test results medical information that helps The test results came back
noun doctors understand a patient's negative. You aren't
condition or body pregnant.
therapy treatment aimed at improving a I was able to go back to
noun person's mental or physical work a few weeks after
condition starting the 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
noun internal organs and processes we are expecting a baby boy.
using sound waves (often used
during pregnancies)
umbilical cord the lifeline from the mother to the I had an emergency C-
noun fetus (when cut at birth this forms section because the
the belly button) umbilical cord was 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 The urine sample tells us
noun liquid waste that is tested for how much alcohol is in your
different medical reasons blood.
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
diseases bodily fluids.
visiting hours time of day when friends and I'm afraid you'll have to
noun family are allowed to visit patients come back during visiting
in hospital hours.
vomit discharge of a person stomach The pregnant woman can't
noun/verb contents through the mouth stop 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
noun transporting patients from place to I'll 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
noun/verb and organs of my shoulder to make sure
it wasn't broken.