Medical English Vocabulary

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
part of speech meaning example sentence

abnormal not normal for the This amount of weight loss

adj human body is abnormal for women
your age.

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

noun/verb away knees ache in the night.

acute quick to become We knew the baby was

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

allergy noun a body's abnormal Your son is

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

ambulance emergency vehicle We called

noun that rushes people the ambulance when Josh
to a hospital stopped breathing.
amnesia a condition that I can't remember the
noun causes people to accident because I
lose their memory had amnesia.

amputation noun permanent We had to amputate his leg

amputate verb removal of a limb because the infection spread
so quickly.

anaemia noun occurs when the I have low energy because I

anaemic adj body doesn't have am anaemic.
enough red blood
cells

antibiotics medication that My throat infection went

noun kills bacteria and away after I started
cures infections the antibiotics.

anti-depressant medication that The anti-depressants help

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

appointment a scheduled I've made you

noun meeting with a an appointment with a
medical specialist in three week's
professional time.

arthritis a disease that My grandmother can't knit

noun causes the joints anymore because
to become swollen the arthritis in her hands is
and crippled so bad.
asthma (attack) a condition that I carry an inhaler when I run
noun causes a blockage because I have asthma.
of the airway and
makes it difficult
for a person to
breathe

bacteria a disease-causing To prevent the spread

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

bedsore wounds that If you don't get up and take

noun develop on a a walk, you will develop
patient's body painful bedsores.
from lying in one
place for too long

benign not harmful (not We're hoping that the tests

adj cancerous) will show that the lump in
your breast is benign.

biopsy removal of human The biopsy ruled out a

noun tissue in order to number of illnesses.
conduct certain
medical tests

blood count the amount of red You will be happy to know

noun and white blood that your blood count is
cells a person has almost back to normal.

blood donor a person who Blood donors have to

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

blood pressure the rate at which High blood pressure puts

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

brace a device that You will probably always

noun holds injured body have to wear a brace on
parts in place your ankle when you jog.

breech position of an We thought it was going to

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

broken a bone that is We thought it was just a

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

bruise noun injured body The woman was

bruised adj tissue that is badly bruised when she
visible underneath came into the emergency
the skin room.

Caesarean procedure that The baby was so large that

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

cancer disease caused by There are many different

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

cardiopulmonary restoring a You saved your brother's life

resuscitation person's breath by performing CPR.
(CPR) and circulation
noun

cast a hard bandage My leg was in a cast for

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

chapel, chapeline a place where If you want a place to pray,

noun loved ones can go the chapel is on the third
to pray for a floor.
patient's recovery;
a priest who visits
patients in the
hospital

chemotherapy type of treatment My mother has already had

noun used on cancer three rounds
patients of chemotherapy.
chickenpox a virus commonly It is best to
noun contracted by get chickenpox as a child
children, so that you don't get it
characterized by worse as an adult.
itchy spots all over
the body

coroner a person who We only call the coroner if

noun determines the we think a death is
cause of death suspicious.
after a person dies

critical condition requiring You can't see her right now;

noun immediate and she's in critical condition.
constant medical
attention

crutches objects that I'd rather hop on one foot

noun people with than use crutches.
injured legs or
feet use to help
them walk

cyst a sac in the body- We're going to remove

noun tissue filled with the cysts just to be on the
fluid (sometimes safe side.
diseased)

deaf unable to hear The accident left the patient

adj both deaf and blind.

deficiency a lack of The tests show that you

noun something have an iron deficiency.
necessary for
one's health

dehydrated in need of water It is easy for the elderly to

adj become dehydrated in this
heat.

dementia loss of mental It is hard to watch a loved

noun capacity one suffering
with dementia.

diabetes type of disease People with diabetes have

noun typically involving to constantly check their
insulin deficiency blood sugar levels.

diagnosis medical The doctor would prefer to

noun explanation of an share the diagnosis with
illness or condition the patient himself.

discomfort experiencing pain This pain medication should

noun relieve some of
your discomfort.

disease a medical disorder I understand that

noun that is harmful to this disease runs in your
a person's health family.

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

adj temporarily because of
separated from its
 joint your dislocated shoulder.

emergency a medical problem It is important that children

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

ER (emergency the hospital room The child was rushed into

room) used for treating the ER after he had a severe
noun patients with allergic reaction to a bee
immediate and sting.
life-threatening
injuries

external on the outside This cream is

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

false negative a test that We had two false

noun incorrectly comes negative pregnancy tests,
adj back negative so we didn't know we were
having a baby.

family history medical The doctor was concerned

noun background of a about my family history of
person's family skin cancer.
members

fatal causing death The doctor made

adj a fatal error when he wrote
the wrong prescription.
fever noun higher than He is very feverish, and his
feverish adj normal body temperature is near danger
temperature point.

flu (influenza) many types of People who have

noun respiratory or the flu should not visit
intestinal hospital patients.
infections passed
on through a virus

fracture noun broken or cracked Your wrist is fractured and

fractured adj bone needs a cast.

germ a micro-organism, Flowers are not allowed in

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

genetic a medical The disease is

adj condition or part genetic and part
physical feature environmental.
that is passed on
in the family

growth a ball of tissue That growth on your

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

heart attack instance in which People who smoke are at

noun blood stops greater risk of having
pumping through a heart attack.
 the heart

HIV the virus that HIV can be passed down

noun infects the human from the mother to her
T-cells and leads fetus.
to AIDS

hives bumps that I broke out in hives after I

noun appear on the ate that potato casserole.
surface of the skin
during an allergic
reaction

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

immune system the parts of the You can't have visitors

noun body that fight because your immune
diseases, system is low.
infections, and
viruses

immunizationnoun an injection that Babies

immunize verb protects against a are immunized three times
specific disease in their first year.

incision cut in the body I had to have stitches to

noun made during close the incision.
 surgery

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 wound should be

infected adj the body (viral or covered when you swim to
bacterial) prevent it from
becoming infected.

inflamed appearance (red My right ankle was

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

injury damage to the Her injuries were minor;

noun body just a few cuts and bruises.

intensive care section of the She will remain in the ICU

unit (ICU) hospital where until she can breathe on her
noun patients get own.
constant attention
and doctors rely
on specialized
equipment

internal under the skin, The doctors will be

adj inside the organs monitoring her for
 any internal bleeding.

itchy feeling discomfort If you are allergic to this

adj on the skin's medication your skin will get
surface red and itchy.

IV a tube that pumps The toddler was so

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

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

lab (laboratory) place where samples I'll take these samples

noun of blood/urine etc. down to the lab on my way
are taken for testing out.

life support a machine that keeps The woman has severe

noun patients alive by brain damage and is
helping them breathe currently on life support.

life-threatening when injuries and The victim was shot in two

adj conditions are places but the bullet
extremely serious wounds are not life-
threatening.

light-headed feeling of dizziness If you are feeling light-

adj and being off- headed again, lie down
balance, caused by and call me.
lack of oxygen in the
brain

malignant expected to grow and I'm afraid at least one of

adj get much worse the tumours is malignant.
(especially related to
cancerous cells)

medical school place where someone After eight years

(med. school) trains to be a doctor of medical school I can
noun finally practice medicine.

newborn an infant that is less You have to support her

noun than three months neck because she is still
old a newborn.

numb no feeling in a certain The needle will make your

adj body part lower body feel numb.

OR (operating the place where You must wear a face mask

room) major surgeries and and gloves while you are in
noun operations take place the OR.

operationnoun a medical procedure The operation lasted

operate onverb that involves going seven hours, but it was
inside a person's successful.
body in an attempt to
fix a problem
pain strong discomfort in We gave your husband
noun certain areas of the some medicine to relieve
body some of the pain.

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

paralyzed unable to move We thought her legs

adj certain areas of the were paralyzed for life,
body but she is learning how to
walk.

patient a person staying in a The patients in Room 4

noun hospital or medical are not getting along.
facility

pharmacist a person who fills a Ask the pharmacist if

noun doctor's prescription there is a generic brand of
and gives people this medication.
advice about
medication

pharmacy, a place where people You should be able to buy a

drugstore go to buy medication bandage at the pharmacy.
noun and other medical
supplies

physician doctor Ask your

noun family physician to refer
you to a specialist.
poison noun a substance that is The child was bitten by
poisonousadj very dangerous if it a poisonous snake.
enters the human
body

prenatal of the time period The woman was well

adj leading up to giving prepared for labour
birth because she took
the prenatal classes.

prescriptionnou the correct amount You will need to visit your

n and type of doctor to get
prescribeverb medication needed to another prescription.
cure an illness or
relieve symptoms

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

radiation high energy X-rays If the radiation doesn't kill

noun that destroy cancer all of the abnormal cells,
cells the cancer will come back.

residency part of a doctor's John is a resident under

resident training that takes Dr Brown.
noun place in the hospital;
a student working
under a doctor

routine check- a doctor's I'd like to see you a year

up appointment to check from now for a routine
noun a person's general check-up.
health

scrubs plain uniform (usually I have some

noun green, white, or blue) extra scrubs in my locker.
worn by medical
professionals

scrub up carefully wash hands I have to scrub up and get

verb before and after ready for surgery.
seeing a patient

second opinion input from a second I went to another doctor to

noun doctor about an get a second
illness or symptom opinion about these
headaches.

seizure sudden violent People who suffer from

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

shock body not getting The woman was

noun enough blood flow in shock after being pulled
from the river.

side effects other symptoms that One of the side effects of

noun might occur as a antidepressants is a loss of
result of a certain appetite.
 medication or
procedure

sore painful I have a sore throat and a

adj runny nose.

spasm the uncontrollable Ever since I injured my leg

noun tightening of a I've been having
muscle muscle spasms in my
upper thigh.

specialist a doctor that is an My family doctor is sending

noun expert in a certain me to a specialist.
kind of medicine

sprain an injury (less serious I sprained my knee

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

stable condition a patient is stable if You can see your husband

noun their medical now; he is in a stable
condition is no longer condition.
changing rapidly

sting sharp, temporary It may sting when I insert

noun/verb pain the needle.

stress noun worry that causes You need to take some

stressed adj muscles to tighten time off work and relieve
and blood pressure to
 rise some of your stress.

swellingnoun ligaments (parts that I knew my ankle was

swollen adj hold the joints sprained because it was
together) growing so swollen.
bigger and rounder
after an injury to a
joint

symptoms pain or physical You have all of

noun changes that occur the symptoms of a
because of an illness diabetic.
or disease

temperature amount of heat We brought Jesse to

noun measured in a body; emergency because he was
higher than normal running a
temperature (high) temperature.

tender painful when touched The incision

adj or used was tender after the
surgery.

test results medical information The test results came

noun that helps doctors back negative. You aren't
understand a pregnant.
patient's condition or
body

therapy treatment aimed at I was able to go back to

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

transplant moving of an organ The

noun from one human to heart transplant saved
another your life.

ultrasound a test that examines The ultrasound shows

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

umbilical cord the lifeline from the I had an emergency C-

noun mother to the fetus section because
(when cut at birth the umbilical cord was
this forms the belly wrapped around the baby's
button) neck.

unconscious alive, but appearing I hit my head on the

adj to be asleep and steering wheel and was
unaware of the still unconscious when
surroundings the ambulance arrived.

urine sample a small amount of the The urine sample tells us

noun body's liquid waste how much alcohol is in
that is tested for your blood.
different medical
reasons

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

virus a dangerous The virus is contractable

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

visiting hours time of day when I'm afraid you'll have to

noun friends and family are come back during visiting
allowed to visit hours.
patients in hospital

vomit discharge of a person The pregnant woman can't

noun/verb stomach contents stop vomiting.
through the mouth

ward a section of a hospital I should warn you that

noun or health facility we're entering the mental
where patients stay health ward.

wheelchair a chair on wheels If you get in

noun used for transporting the wheelchair I'll take
patients from place to you down to see the
place garden.

wound noun injury to body ("flesh The wounded soldiers are

wounded adj wound" means not being airlifted to the
deep) hospital.

x-ray a photograph of a The technician took x-

noun/verb person's bones and rays of my shoulder to
organs make sure it wasn't
broken.