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Dictionary of

Medical Terms

fourth edition

A & C Black 앫 London

www.acblack.com

While every effort has been made to be as accurate as possible, the author,

advisers, editors and publishers of this book cannot be held liable for any errors

and omissions, or actions that may be taken as a consequence of using it.

First published in Great Britain in1987

asEnglish Medical Dictionary

Second edition published 1993

Third edition published 2000

Fourth edition published 2004

Reprinted 2005, 2007

A & C Black Publishers Ltd

37 Soho Square, London W1D 3QZ

in any form or by any means without the permission of the publishers

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0209-1

Text Production and Proofreading

Heather Bateman, Ruth Hillmore, Daisy Jackson, Sarah Lusznat,

Katy McAdam, Charlotte Regan

This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed,

sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable. The logging and

manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country

of origin.

Text computer typeset by A & C Black

Printed in Spain by Graphycems

Preface

This dictionary provides the user with the basic vocabulary currently being

used in a wide range of healthcare situations. The areas covered include the

technical language used in diagnosis, patient care, surgery, pathology,

general practice, pharmacy, dentistry and other specialisations, as well as

anatomical and physiological terms. Informal, everyday and sometimes

euphemistic terms commonly used by people in discussing their condition

with healthcare professionals are also included, as are common words used

in reading or writing reports, articles or guidelines.

The dictionary is designed for anyone who needs to check the meaning or

pronunciation of medical terms, but especially for those working in

health-related areas who may not be healthcare professionals or for whom

English is an additional language. Each headword is explained in clear,

straightforward English. Pronunciations, uncommon plurals and uncommon

verb forms are provided. Illustrations of some basic anatomical terms are

also included.

Very many people have helped or advised on the compilation and checking

of the dictionary in its various editions. In particular, thanks are due to Dr

Judith Harvey for her helpful comments and advice on this fourth edition

and to Dr Marie Condon for some revisions and clarification. Also to Lesley

Bennun, Lesley Brown and Margaret Baker who copy-edited the text and

Dinah Jackson who revised the pronunciations.

Pronunciation Guide

The following symbols have been used to show the pronunciation of the main

words in the dictionary.

Stress is indicated by a main stress mark ( ) and a secondary stress mark ( ). Note

that these are only guides, as the stress of the word changes according to its position

in the sentence.

Vowels Consonants

back b buck

ɑ harm d dead

ɒ stop ðother

a type d jump

aυ how f fare

aə hire  gold

aυə hour h head

ɔ course j yellow

ɔ annoy k cab

ehead l leave

eə fair m mix

e make n nil

eυ go ŋ sing

 word p print

i keep r rest

i happy s save

ə about ʃ shop

 fit t take

ə near tʃ change

u annual θ theft

u pool v value

υ book w work

υə tour x loch

' shut  measure

z zone

A /e/

noun

a human blood type of the ABO

system, containing the A antigen

(NOTE: Some-

one with type A can donate to people of the

same group or of the AB group, and can receive

blood from people with type A or type O.)

abbr

Alcoholics Anonymous

A & E

A & E /



e ənd i/, A & E department /



e ənd

i d



pɑtmənt/

noun

same as accident and

emergency department

A & E medicine

A & E medicine /



e ənd i med(ə)sn/

noun

the medical procedures used in A & E de-

partments

AB /



e bi/

noun

a human blood type of the

ABO system, containing the A and B antigens

(NOTE: Someone with type AB can donate to

people of the same group and receive blood

from people with type O, A, AB or B.)

ab-

ab- /b/

prefix

away from

ABC

ABC /



e bi si/

noun

the basic initial checks

of a casualty’s condition. Full form

airway,

breathing and circulation

abdomen

abdomen /



bdəmən/

noun

a space inside

the body below the diaphragm, above the pel-

vis and in front of the spine, containing the

stomach, intestines, liver and other vital or-

gans

쑗 pain in the abdomen (NOTE: For other

terms referring to the abdomen, see words be-

ginning with coeli-, coelio-.)

COMMENT: The abdomen is divided for medi-

cal purposes into nine regions: at the top, the

right and left hypochondriac regions with the

epigastrium between them; in the centre, the

right and left lumbar regions with the umbilical

between them; and at the bottom, the right

and left iliac regions with the hypogastrium

between them.

abdomin-

abdomin- /bdɒmn/

prefix

same as abdom-

ino- (

used before vowels

)

abdominal

abdominal /b



dɒmn(ə)l/

adjective

located

in the abdomen, or relating to the abdomen

abdominal aorta

abdominal aorta /b



dɒmn(ə)l e



ɔtə/

noun

the part of the aorta which lies between

the diaphragm and the point where the aorta

divides into the iliac arteries. See illustration at

KIDNEY in Supplement

abdominal cavity

abdominal cavity /b



dɒmn(ə)l kvti/

noun

the space in the body below the chest

abdominal distension

abdominal distension /b



dɒmn(ə)l ds



tenʃ(ə)n/

noun

a condition in which the abdo-

men is stretched because of gas or fluid

abdominal pain

abdominal pain /b



dɒmn(ə)l pen/

noun

pain in the abdomen caused by indigestion or

more serious disorders

abdominal viscera

abdominal viscera /b



dɒmn(ə)l vsərə/

plural noun

the organs which are contained in

the abdomen, e.g. the stomach, liver and intes-

tines

abdominal wall

abdominal wall /b



dɒmn(ə)l wɔl/

noun

muscular tissue which surrounds the abdomen

abdomino-

abdomino- /bdɒmnəυ/

prefix

referring to

the abdomen

abdominopelvic

abdominopelvic /b



dɒmnəυ



pelvk/

ad-

jective

referring to the abdomen and pelvis

abdominoperineal

abdominoperineal /b



dɒmnəυper



niəl/

adjective

referring to the abdomen and

perineum

abdominoperineal excision

abdominoperineal excision /b



dɒ



mnəυper



niəl k



s(ə)n/

noun

a surgical

operation that involves cutting out tissue in

both the abdomen and the perineum

abdominoposterior

abdominoposterior /b



dɒmnəυpɒ



stəriə/

adjective

referring to a position of a

fetus in the uterus, where the fetus’s abdomen

is facing the mother’s back

abdominoscopy

abdominoscopy /b



dɒm



nɒskəpi/

noun

an internal examination of the abdomen, usu-

ally with an endoscope

abdominothoracic

abdominothoracic /b



dɒmnəυθɔ



rsk/

adjective

referring to the abdomen and thorax

abduce

abduce /b



djus/

verb

same as abduct

abducens nerve

abducens nerve /b



djus(ə)nz n!v/

noun

the sixth cranial nerve, which controls

the muscle which makes the eyeball turn out-

wards

abducent

abducent /b



djus(ə)nt/

adjective

referring

to a muscle which brings parts of the body

away from each other or moves them away

from the central line of the body or a limb.

Compare

adducent

abducent nerve

abducent nerve /b



djusənt n!v/

noun

same as abducens nerve

abduct

abduct /b



d"kt/

verb

(

of a muscle

) to pull a

leg or arm in a direction which is away from

Medicine.fm Page 1 Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:26 PM

abduction 2

the centre line of the body, or to pull a toe or

finger away from the central line of a leg or

arm. Compare

adduct

abduction

abduction /b



d"kʃən/

noun

the movement

of a part of the body away from the centre line

of the body or away from a neighbouring part.

Opposite

adduction. See illustration at ANA-

TOMICAL TERMS in Supplement

‘Mary was nursed in a position of not more than 90°

upright with her legs in abduction.’ [British

Journalof Nursing]

abductor

abductor /b



d"ktə/, abductor muscle /b



d"ktə m"s(ə)l/

noun

a muscle which pulls a

part of the body away from the centre line of

the body or away from a neighbouring part.

Opposite

adductor

aberrant

aberrant /



berənt/

adjective

not usual or ex-

pected

aberration

aberration /



bə



reʃ(ə)n/

noun

an action or

growth which is not usual or expected

ablation

ablation /



bleʃ(ə)n/

noun

the removal of

an organ or of a part of the body by surgery

abnormal

abnormal /b



nɔm(ə)l/

adjective

not usual

쑗 abnormal behaviour 쑗 an abnormal move-

ment

‘…the synovium produces an excess of synovial flu-

id, which is abnormal and becomes thickened. This

causes pain, swelling and immobility of the affected

joint.’ [Nursing Times]

abnormality

abnormality /



bnɔ



mlti/

noun

a form or

condition which is not usual

(NOTE: For other

terms referring to abnormality, see words begin-

ning with terat-, terato-.)

‘Even children with the milder forms of sickle-cell

disease have an increased frequency of pneumococ-

cal infection. The reason for this susceptibility is a

profound abnormality of the immune system in chil-

dren with SCD.’ [Lancet]

abocclusion

abocclusion /



bɒ



klu(ə)n/

noun

a condi-

tion in which the teeth in the top and bottom

jaws do not touch

aboral

aboral /b



ɔrəl/

adjective

situated away

from or opposite the mouth

abort

abort /ə



bɔt/

verb

to eject an embryo or fetus,

or to cause an embryo or fetus to be ejected,

and so end a pregnancy before the fetus is fully

developed

abortifacient

abortifacient /ə



bɔt



feʃ(ə)nt/

noun

a drug

or instrument which provokes an abortion

abortion

abortion /ə



bɔʃ(ə)n/

noun

a situation where

a fetus leaves the uterus before it is fully devel-

oped, especially during the first 28 weeks of

pregnancy, or a procedure which causes this to

happen

왍 to have an abortion to have an op-

eration to make a fetus leave the uterus during

the first period of pregnancy

COMMENT: In the UK, an abortion can be car-

ried out legally if two doctors agree that the

mother’s life is in danger, that she risks grave

permanent injury to the physical or mental

health of herself or her children, or that the fe-

tus is likely to be born with severe disabilities.

abortionist

abortionist /ə



bɔʃ(ə)nst/

noun

a person

who helps a woman abort, usually a person

who performs an illegal abortion

abortion pill

abortion pill /ə



bɔʃ(ə)n pl/

noun

a drug

that causes an abortion to occur very early in

pregnancy

abortion trauma syndrome

abortion trauma syndrome /ə



bɔʃ(ə)n

trɔmə sndrəυm

noun

a set of symptoms

sometimes experienced in the period afte r an

abortion including guilt, anxiety, depression,

low self-esteem, eating and sleeping disorders

and suicidal thoughts

abortive

abortive /ə



bɔtv/

adjective

not successful 쑗

an abortive attempt

abortive poliomyelitis

abortive poliomyelitis /ə



bɔtv pəυliəυ



maə



lats/

noun

a mild form of polio which

only affects the throat and intestines

abortus

abortus /ə



bɔtəs/

noun

a fetus which is ex-

pelled during an abortion or miscarriage

abortus fever

abortus fever /ə



bɔtəs fivə/

noun

same as

brucellosis

ABO system

ABO system /



e bi əυ  sstəm/

noun

system of classifying blood groups.

쒁 blood

group

abrasion

abrasion /ə



bre(ə)n/

noun

a condition in

which the surface of the skin has been rubbed

off by a rough surface and bleeds

COMMENT: As the intact skin is an efficient bar-

rier to bacteria, even minor abrasions can al-

low infection to enter the body and thus

should be cleaned and treated with an anti-

septic.

abreact

abreact /



bri



kt/

verb

to release uncon-

scious psychological tension by talking about

or regularly remembering the events that

caused it

abreaction

abreaction /



bri



kʃən/

noun

the treat-

ment of a person with a neurosis by making

him or her think again about past bad experi-

ences

abruptio placentae

abruptio placentae /ə



br"ptiəυ plə



senti/

noun

an occasion when the placenta suddenly

comes away from the uterus earlier than it

should, often causing shock and bleeding

abscess

abscess /



bses/

noun

a painful swollen

area where pus forms

쑗 She had an abscess

under a tooth. 쑗 The doctor decided to lance

the abscess.

(NOTE: The formation of an abscess

is often accompanied by a high temperature.

The plural is abscesses.)

COMMENT: An acute abscess can be dealt with

by opening and draining when it has reached

the stage where sufficient pus has been

formed. A chronic abscess is usually treated

with drugs.

absolute alcohol

absolute alcohol /



bsəlut lkəhɒl/

noun

alcohol which contains no water

absorb

absorb /əb



zɔb/

verb

to take up or soak up

something, especially a liquid, into a solid 쑗

Cotton wads are used to absorb the discharge

from the wound.

absorbable suture

absorbable suture /əb



zɔbəb(ə)l sutʃə/

noun

a suture which will eventually be ab-

Medicine.fm Page 2 Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:26 PM

3acetabulum

sorbed into the body, and does not need to be

removed

absorbent cotton

absorbent cotton /əb



zɔbənt kɒt(ə)n/

noun

a soft white material used as a dressing to

put on wounds

absorption

absorption /əb



zɔpʃən/

noun

1. the process

by which a liquid is taken into a solid

2. the

process of taking into the body substances

such as proteins or fats which have been di-

gested from food and enter the bloodstream

from the stomach and intestines

왍 absorption

rate the rate at which a liquid is absorbed by a

solid

abstainer

abstainer /əb



stenə/

noun

a person who

does not drink alcohol

abstinence

abstinence /



bstnəns/

noun

a deliberate

act of not doing something over a period of

time, especially not eating or drinking

쑗 absti-

nence from alcohol

abulia

abulia /ə



buliə/

noun

a lack of willpower

abuse

noun

/ə



bjus/ 1. the act of using some-

thing wrongly 쑗 the abuse of a privilege 2. the

illegal use of a drug or overuse of alcohol

쑗

substance abuse 3. same as child abuse 4. bad

treatment of a person 쑗 physical abuse 쑗 sex-

ual abuse

쐽

verb

/ə



bjuz/ 1. to use something

wrongly

쑗 Heroin and cocaine are drugs

which are commonly abused. 왍 to abuse one’s

authority to use one’s powers in an illegal or

harmful way

2. to treat someone badly 쑗 sexu-

ally abused children 쑗 He had physically

abused his wife and child.

a.c.

adverb

(

used on prescriptions

) before

food. Full form ante cibum

acanthosis

acanthosis /ə



kn



θəυss/

noun

a disease of

the prickle cell layer of the skin, wher e warts

appear on the skin or inside the mouth

acapnia

acapnia /e



kpniə/

noun

the condition of

not having enough carbon dioxide in the blood

and tissues

acariasis

acariasis /



kə



raəss/

noun

the presence

of mites or ticks on the skin

acaricide

acaricide /ə



krsad/

noun

a substance

which kills mites or ticks

acarophobia

acarophobia /



kərə



fəυbiə/

noun

an unu-

sual fear of mites or ticks

acatalasia

acatalasia /e



ktə



leziə/

noun

an inherited

condition which results in a lack of catalase in

all tissue

accessory

accessory /ək



sesəri/

noun

something

which helps something else to happen or oper-

ate, but may not be very important in itself

쐽

adjective

helping something else to happen or

operate

accessory nerve

accessory nerve /ək



sesəri n!v/

noun

the

eleventh cranial nerve which supplies the mus-

cles in the neck and shoulders

accessory organ

accessory organ /ək



sesəri ɔ&ən/

noun

an organ which has a function which is con-

trolled by another organ

accident

accident /



ksd(ə)nt/

noun

1. an unpleasant

event which happens suddenly and harms

someone’s health

쑗 She had an accident in the

kitchen and had to go to hospital. 쑗 Three peo-

ple were killed in the accident on the motor-

way.

2. chance, or something which happens

by chance

쑗 I met her by accident at the bus

stop.

accidental injury

accidental injury /



ksdent(ə)l ndəri/

noun

an injury that happens to someone in an

accident

accident and emergency department

accident and emergency department /



ksd(ə)nt ənd 



m!dənsi d



pɑtmənt/

noun

the part of a hospital which deals with

people who need urgent treatment because

they have had accidents or are in sudden seri-

ous pain. Abbr

A & E

accident form

accident form /



ksd(ə)nt fɔm/, accident

report form /



ksd(ə)nt r



pɔt fɔm/

noun

form to be filled in with details of an accident

accident prevention

accident prevention /



ksd(ə)nt pr



venʃən/

noun

the work of taking action or

changing procedures to prevent accidents from

happening

accident ward

accident ward /



ksd(ə)nt wɔd/

noun

ward for urgent accident victims. Also called

casualty ward

accommodation

accommodation /ə



kɒmə



deʃ(ə)n/, ac-

commodation reflex /



kɒmə



deʃ(ə)n

rifleks

noun

(

of the lens of the eye

) the abil-

ity to focus on objects at different distances,

using the ciliary muscle

accommodative squint

accommodative squint /ə



kɒmədetv

skwnt

noun

a squint when the eye is trying

to focus on an object which is very close

accouchement

accouchement /ə



kuʃmɒŋ/

noun

the time

when a woman is being looked after because

her baby is being born, or has just been born

accretion

accretion /ə



kriʃ(ə)n/

noun

a gradual in-

crease in size, as through growth or exte rnal

addition

쑗 an accretion of calcium around the

joint

ACE

ACE /



es/

noun

an enzyme that increases

blood pressure

acebutolol

acebutolol /



s



bjutəlɒl/

noun

a drug

which reduces both the heart rate and how

strongly the heart muscles contract, used in the

treatment of high blood pressure and irregular

heart rhythms

ACE inhibitor

ACE inhibitor /



es n



hbtə/

noun

same as

angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor

acephalus

acephalus /e



sefələs/

noun

a fetus born

without a head

acetabuloplasty

acetabuloplasty /



s



tbjυləυ



plsti/

noun

a surgical operation to repair or rebuild

the acetabulum

acetabulum

acetabulum /



s



tbjυləm/

noun

the part

of the pelvic bone, shaped like a cup, into

which the head of the femur fits to form the h ip

joint. Also called

cotyloid cavity (NOTE: The

plural is acetabula.)

Medicine.fm Page 3 Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:26 PM

acetaminophen 4

acetaminophen

acetaminophen /ə



sitə



mnəfən/

noun US

same as paracetamol

acetazolamide

acetazolamide /ə



sitə



zɒləmad/

noun

drug which helps a person to produce more

urine, used in the treatment of oedema, glauco-

ma and epilepsy

acetonaemia

acetonaemia /ə



sitəυ



nimiə/ same as ket-

onaemia

acetone

acetone /



stəυn/

noun

a colourless volatile

substance formed in the body after vomiting or

during diabetes.

쒁 ketone

acetonuria

acetonuria /ə



sitəυ



njuriə/

noun

the pres-

ence of acetone in the urine, shown by the fact

that the urine gives off a sweet smell

acetylcholine

acetylcholine /



stal



kəυlin/

noun

a sub-

stance released from nerve endings, which al-

lows nerve impulses to move from one nerve

to another or from a nerve to the organ it con-

trols

COMMENT: Acetylcholine receptors are of two

types, muscarinic, found in parasympathetic

post-ganglionic nerve junctions, and nicotinic,

found at neuromuscular junctions and in auto-

nomic ganglia. Acetylcholine acts on both

types of receptors, but other drugs act on one

or the other.

acetylcoenzyme A

acetylcoenzyme A /



stalkəυ



enzam

e

noun

a compound produced in the metab-

olism of carbohydrates, fatty acids and amino

acids

acetylsalicylic acid

acetylsalicylic acid /



stal



sləslk

sd/

noun

쏡 aspirin

achalasia

achalasia /



kə



leziə/

noun

the condition of

being unable to relax the muscles

ache

ache /ek/

noun

a pain which goes on for a

time, but is not very severe

쑗 He complained

of various aches and pains.

쐽

verb

to have a

pain in part of the body 쑗 His tooth ached so

much he went to the dentist.

Achilles tendon

Achilles tendon /ə



kliz tendən/

noun

tendon at the back of the ankle which connects

the calf muscles to the heel and which acts to

pull up the heel when the calf muscle is con-

tracted

achillorrhaphy

achillorrhaphy /



k



lɔrəfi/

noun

a surgi-

cal operation to stitch a torn Achilles tendon

achillotomy

achillotomy /



k



lɒtəmi/

noun

a surgical

operation to divide the Achilles tendon

aching

aching /



ekŋ/

adjective

causing someone a

continuous mild pain 쑗 aching legs

achlorhydria

achlorhydria /



eklɔ



hadriə/

noun

a condi-

tion in which the gastric juices do not contain

hydrochloric acid, a symptom of stomach can-

cer or pernicious anaemia

acholia

acholia /e



kəυliə/

noun

the absence or fail-

ure of the secretion of bile

acholuria

acholuria /



ekɒ



luriə/

noun

the absence of

bile colouring in the urine

acholuric jaundice

acholuric jaundice /



ekəlurk dɔnds/

noun

a disease where unusually round red

blood cells form, leading to anaemia, an en-

larged spleen and the formation of gallstone s.

Also called

hereditary spherocytosis

achondroplasia

achondroplasia /



ekɒndrə



pleziə/

noun

an inherited condition in which the long bones

in the arms and legs do not grow fully while

the rest of the bones in the body grow as usual,

resulting in dwarfism

achromatopsia

achromatopsia /



ekrəυmə



tɒpsiə/

noun

rare condition in which a person cannot see

any colours, but only black, white and shades

of grey

achy

achy /



eki/

adjective

feeling aches all over the

body (

informal

)

aciclovir

aciclovir /e



sakləυvə/

noun

a drug that is

effective against herpesviruses. Also called

acyclovir

acid

acid /



sd/

noun

a chemical compound con-

taining hydrogen, which reacts with an alkali

to form a salt and water

acidaemia

acidaemia /



s



dimiə/

noun

a state in

which the blood has too much acid in it. It is a

feature of untreated severe diabetes.

acid–base balance

acid–base balance /



sd bes b ləns/

noun

the balance between acid and base, i.e.

the pH level, in plasma

acidity

acidity /ə



sdti/

noun

1. the level of acid in a

liquid

쑗 The alkaline solution may help to re-

duce acidity.

2. same as hyperacidity

acidosis

acidosis /



s



dəυss/

noun

1. a condition

when there are more acid waste products such

as urea than usual in the blood because of a

lack of alkali

2. same as acidity

acidotic

acidotic /



s



dɒtk/

adjective

relating to ac-

idosis

acid reflux

acid reflux /



sd rifl"ks/

noun

a condition

caused by a faulty muscle in the oesophagus

allowing the acid in the stomach to pass into

the oesophagus

acid stomach

acid stomach /



sd st"mək/

noun

same

hyperacidity

aciduria

aciduria /



s



djυəriə/

noun

a condition in

which there is a higher level of acidity of the

urine than is desirable

acinus

acinus /



snəs/

noun

1. a tiny sac which

forms part of a gland

2. part of a lobule in the

lung (NOTE: The plural is acini.)

acne

acne /



kni/

noun

an inflammation of the se-

baceous glands during puberty which makes

blackheads appear on the skin, usually on the

face, neck and shoulders. These blackheads

often then become infected.

쑗 She is using a

cream to clear up her acne.

acne rosacea

acne rosacea /



kni rəυ



zeʃə/

noun

same

as rosacea

acne vulgaris

acne vulgaris /



kni vυl



&ɑrs/

noun

same

acne

acoustic

acoustic /ə



kustk/

adjective

relating to

sound or hearing

acoustic nerve

acoustic nerve /ə



kustk n!v/

noun

the

eighth cranial nerve which governs hearing

and balance

Medicine.fm Page 4 Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:26 PM

5acuity

acoustic neurofibroma

acoustic neurofibroma /ə



kustk

njυərəυfa



brəυmə/, acoustic neuroma /ə



kustk njυə



rəυmə/

noun

a tumour in the

sheath of the auditory nerve, causing deafness

acoustic trauma

acoustic trauma /ə



kustk trɔmə/

noun

physical damage caused by sound waves, e.g.

hearing loss, disorientation, motion sickness

or dizziness

acquired

acquired /ə



kwaəd/

adjective

referring to a

condition which is neither congenital nor he-

reditary and which a person develops after

birth in reaction to his or her environment

acquired immunity

acquired immunity /ə



kwaəd 



mjunti/

noun

an immunity which a body acquires from

having caught a disease or from immunisation,

not one which is congenital

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

/ə



kwaəd mjυnəυd



fʃ(ə)nsi sndrəυm/,

acquired immune deficiency syndrome /



kwaəd m



jun d



fʃ(ə)nsi sndrəυm/

noun

a viral infection which breaks down the

body’s immune system. Abbr AIDS

acrivastine

acrivastine /ə



krvə s tin/

noun

a drug

which reduces the amount of histamine pro-

duced by the body. It is used in the treatment

of rhinitis, urticaria and eczema.

acro-

acro- /krəυ/

prefix

referring to a point or tip

acrocephalia

acrocephalia /



krəυsə



feliə/

noun

same

as oxycephaly

acrocephaly

acrocephaly /



krəυ



sefəli/

noun

same as

oxycephaly

acrocyanosis

acrocyanosis /



krəυsaə



nəυss/

noun

blue coloration of the extremities, i.e. the fin-

gers, toes, ears and nose, which is due to poor

circulation

acrodynia

acrodynia /



krəυ



dniə/

noun

a children’s

disease, caused by an allergy to mercury,

where the child’s hands, feet and face swell

and become pink, and the child is also affected

with fever and loss of appetite. Also called

erythroedema, pink disease

acromegaly

acromegaly /



krəυ



me&əli/

noun

a disease

caused by excessive quantities of growth hor-

mone produced by the pituitary gland, causing

a slow enlargement of the hands, feet and jaws

in adults

acromial

acromial /ə



krəυmiəl/

adjective

referring to

the acromion

acromioclavicular

acromioclavicular /



krəυmaəυklə



vkjυlə/

adjective

relating to the acromion

and the clavicle

acromion

acromion /ə



krəυmiən/

noun

the pointed top

of the scapula, which forms the tip of the

shoulder

acronyx

acronyx /



krɒnks,



ekrɒnks/

noun

condition in which a nail grows into the flesh

acroparaesthesia

acroparaesthesia /



krəυprs



θiziə/

noun

a condition in which the patient experi-

ences sharp pains in the arms and numbness in

the fingers after sleep

acrophobia

acrophobia /



krə



fəυbiə/

noun

a fear of

heights

acrosclerosis

acrosclerosis /



krəυsklə



rəυss/

noun

sclerosis which affects the extremities

ACTH

abbr

adrenocorticotrophic hormone

actinomycin

actinomycin /



ktnəυ



masn/

noun

an an-

tibiotic used in the treatment of children with

cancer

actinomycosis

actinomycosis /



ktnəυma



kəυss/

noun

a fungal disease transmitted to humans from

cattle, causing abscesses in the mouth and

lungs (pulmonary actinomycosis) or in the ile-

um (intestinal actinomycosis)

action potential

action potential /



kʃən pə



tenʃəl/

noun

temporary change in electrical potential which

occurs between the inside and the outside of a

nerve or muscle fibre when a nerve impulse is

sent

active

active /



ktv/

adjective

1. (

of a person

) lively

and energetic 쑗 Although she is over eighty

she is still very active. Opposite

passive 2. (

a disease

) having an effect on a patient 쑗 ex-

perienced two years of active rheumatoid dis-

ease Compare

dormant 3. (

of a drug

) having

medicinal effect

active immunity

active immunity /



ktv 



mjunti/

noun

immunity which is acquired by catching and

surviving an infectious disease or by vaccina-

tion with a weakened form of the disease,

which makes the body form antibodies

active ingredient

active ingredient /



ktv n



&ridiənt/

noun

the main medicinal ingredient of an oint-

ment or lotion, as opposed to the base

active movement

active movement /



ktv muv mənt/

noun

movement made by a person using his or

her own willpower and muscles

active principle

active principle /



ktv prnsp(ə)l/

noun

the main medicinal ingredient of a drug which

makes it have the required effect on a person

activities of daily living

activities of daily living /k



tvtiz əv

deli lvŋ

noun

a scale used by geriatricians

and occupational therapists to assess the ca-

pacity of elderly or disabled people to live in-

dependently. Abbr

ADLs

activity

activity /k



tvti/

noun

1. what someone

does

쑗 difficulty with activities such as walk-

ing and dressing 2. the characteristic behav-

iour of a chemical

쑗 The drug’s activity only

lasts a few hours.

왍 antibacterial activity ef-

fective action against bacteria

act on

act on /



kt ɒn/, act upon /



kt ə



pɒn/

verb

1. to do something as the result of something

which has been said

쑗 He acted on his doc-

tor’s advice and gave up smoking.

2. to have an

effect on someone or something 쑗 The antibi-

otic acted quickly on the infection.

act out

act out /



kt aυt/

verb

to express negative

feelings by behaving in a socially unaccepta-

ble way

acuity

acuity /ə



kjuti/

noun

keenness of sight,

hearing or intellect

Medicine.fm Page 5 Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:26 PM

acupressure 6

acupressure

acupressure /



kjυpreʃə/

noun

a treatment

which is based on the same principle as acu-

puncture in which, instead of needles, fingers

are used on specific points on the body, called

pressure points

acupuncture

acupuncture /



kjυp"ŋktʃə/

noun

a treat-

ment based on needles being inserted through

the skin into nerve centres in orde r to relieve

pain or treat a disorder

acupuncturist

acupuncturist /



kjυ



p"ŋktʃərst/

noun

person who practises acupuncture

acute

acute /ə



kjut/

adjective

1. referring to a dis-

ease or condition which develops rapidly and

can be dangerous

쑗 an acute abscess Opposite

chronic 2. referring to pain which is sharp and

intense (

informal

) 쑗 He felt acute chest pains.

acute abdomen

acute abdomen /ə



kjut bdəmən/

noun

any serious condition of the abdomen which

requires surgery

acute bed

acute bed /ə



kjut bed/

noun

a hospital bed

reserved for people requiring immediate treat-

ment

‘…the survey shows a reduction in acute beds in the

last six years. The bed losses forced one hospital to

send acutely ill patients to hospitals up to sixteen

miles away.’ [NursingTimes]

acute care

acute care /ə



kjut keə/

noun

medical or

surgical treatment in a hospital, usually for a

short period, for a patient with a sudden severe

illness or injury

acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

/ə



kjut d



semnetd en



kefələυmaə



lats/

noun

an encephalomyelitis or myelitis

believed to result from an autoimmune attack

on the myelin of the central nervous system

acute glaucoma

acute glaucoma /ə



kjut &lɔ



kəυmə/

noun

same as angle-closure glaucoma

acute hospital

acute hospital /ə



kjut hɒspt(ə)l/

noun

hospital where people go for major surgery or

intensive care of medical or surgical condi-

tions

acutely

acutely /ə



kjutli/

adverb

1. having or caus-

ing a suddenly developing medical condition

쑗 acutely ill patients 쑗 acutely toxic chemicals

2. extremely (

informal

)

acute lymphocytic leukaemia

acute lymphocytic leukaemia /ə



kjut

lmfəstk lu



kimiə/

noun

a form of leukae-

mia that is the commonest cancer affecting

children

acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia

acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia /ə



kjut nɒnlmfəstk lu



kimiə/

noun

form of leukaemia that affects adults and chil-

dren and is usually treated with chemotherapy

acute pancreatitis

acute pancreatitis /ə



kut pŋkriə



tats/

noun

inflammation after pancreatic enzymes

have escaped into the pancreas, causing symp-

toms of acute abdominal pain

acute respiratory distress syndrome

acute respiratory distress syndrome /ə



kjut r



sprət(ə)ri d



stres sndrəυm/

noun

an infection of the lungs, often following

injury, which prevents them functioning prop-

erly. Abbr

ARDS

acute rheumatism

noun

same as rheumatic

fever

acute rhinitis

acute rhinitis /ə



kjut ra



nats/

noun

a vi-

rus infection which causes inflammation of the

mucous membrane in the nose and throat

acute suppurative arthritis

acute suppurative arthritis /ə



kjut s"

pjυrətv ɑθ



rats/

noun

same as pyarthrosis

acute toxicity

acute toxicity /ə



kjut tɒ k



ssti/

noun

level of concentration of a toxic substance

which makes people seriously ill or can cause

death

acute yellow atrophy

acute yellow atrophy /ə



kjut jeləυ

trəfi/ 쏡 yellow atrophy

acyclovir

acyclovir /e



sakləυvə/

noun

same as aci-

clovir

acystia

acystia /e



sstiə/

noun

a condition in which

a baby is born without a bladder

abbr

Alzheimer’s disease

Adam’s apple

Adam’s apple /



dəmz p(ə)l/

noun

a part

of the thyroid cartilage which projects from

the neck below the chin in a man. Also c alled

laryngeal prominence

adapt

adapt /ə



dpt/

verb

1. to change one’s ideas

or behaviour to fit into a new situation 쑗 She

has adapted very well to her new job in the

children’s hospital.

2. to change something to

make it more useful 쑗 The brace has to be

adapted to fit the patient.

adaptation

adaptation /



dp



teʃ(ə)n/

noun

1. a

change which has been or can be made to

something

2. the act of changing something so

that it fits a new situation

3. the process by

which sensory receptors become accustomed

to a sensation which is repeated

ADD

abbr

attention deficit disorder

addicted

addicted /ə



dktd/

adjective

physically or

mentally dependent on a harmful substance 왍

addicted to alcohol or drugs needing to take

alcohol or a harmful drug regularly

addictive

addictive /ə



dktv/

adjective

referring to a

drug which is habit-forming and which people

can become addicted to

Addison’s anaemia

Addison’s anaemia /



ds(ə)nz ə



nimiə/

same as pernicious anaemia [Described 1849.

After Thomas Addison (1793–1860), from

Northumberland, founder of the science of en-

docrinology.]

Addison’s disease

Addison’s disease /



ds(ə)nz d



ziz/

noun

a disease of the adrenal glands, causing a

change in skin colour to yellow and then to

dark brown and resulting in general weakness,

anaemia, low blood pressure and wasting

away. Treatment is with corticosteroid injec-

tions.

[Described 1849. After Thomas Addison

(1793–1860), from Northumberland, founder of

the science of endocrinology.]

adducent

adducent /ə



djus(ə)nt/

adjective

referring

to a muscle which brings parts of the body to-

gether or moves them towards the central line

of the body or a limb. Compare

abducent

Medicine.fm Page 6 Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:26 PM

7 adiposuria

adduct

adduct /ə



d"kt/

verb

(

of a muscle

) to pull a

leg or arm towards the central line of the body,

or to pull a toe or finger towards the central

line of a leg or arm. Opposite

abduct

adducted

adducted /ə



d"ktd/

adjective

referring to a

body part brought towards the middle of the

body

adduction

adduction /ə



d"kʃən/

noun

the movement of

a part of the body towards the midline or to-

wards a neighbouring part. Compare

abduc-

tion

. See illustration at ANATOMICAL TERMS in

Supplement

adductor

adductor /ə



d"ktə/, adductor muscle /ə



d"ktə m"s(ə)l/

noun

a muscle which pulls a

part of the body towards the central line of the

body. Opposite

abductor

aden-

aden- /dn/

prefix

same as adeno- (

used be-

fore vowels

)

adenectomy

adenectomy /



d



nektəmi/

noun

the surgi-

cal removal of a gland

adenine

adenine /



dənin/

noun

one of the four ba-

sic chemicals in DNA

adenitis

adenitis /



d



nats/

noun

inflammation of

a gland or lymph node.

쒁 lymphadenitis

adeno-

adeno- /dnəυ/

prefix

referring to glands

adenocarcinoma

adenocarcinoma /



dnəυ



kɑs



nəυmə/

noun

a malignant tumour of a gland

adenohypophysis

adenohypophysis /



dnəυ



ha



pɒfss/

noun

the front lobe of the pituitary gland

which secretes most of the pituitary hormones

adenoid

adenoid /



dnɔd/

adjective

like a gland

adenoidal

adenoidal /



d



nɔd(ə)l/

adjective

referring

to the adenoids

adenoidal expression

adenoidal expression /



dnɔd(ə)l k



spreʃ(ə)n/

noun

a common symptom of a

child suffering from adenoids, where his or her

mouth is always open, the nose is narrow and

the top teeth appear to project forward

adenoidal tissue

adenoidal tissue /



dnɔd(ə)l tʃu/

noun

same as adenoids

adenoidectomy

adenoidectomy /



dnɔ



dektəmi/

noun

the surgical removal of the adenoids

adenoidism

adenoidism /



dnɔdz(ə)m/

noun

the con-

dition of a person with adenoids

adenoids

adenoids /



dnɔdz/

plural noun

a mass of

tissue at the back of the nose and throat that

can restrict breathing if enlarged. Also called

pharyngeal tonsils

adenoid vegetation

adenoid vegetation /



dnɔd vedə



teʃ(ə)n/

noun

a condition in children where

the adenoidal tissue is covered with growt hs

and can block the nasal passages or the Eus-

tachian tubes

adenolymphoma

adenolymphoma /



dnəυlm



fəυmə/

noun

a benign tumour of the salivary glands

adenoma

adenoma /



d



nəυmə/

noun

a benign tu-

mour of a gland

adenoma sebaceum

adenoma sebaceum /



dnəυmə sə



beʃəm/

noun

a skin condition of the face

shown by raised red vascular bumps appearing

in late childhood or early adolescence

adenomyoma

adenomyoma /



dnəυma



əυmə/

noun

benign tumour made up of glands and muscle

adenopathy

adenopathy /



d



nɒpəθi/

noun

a disease of

a gland

adenosclerosis

adenosclerosis /



dnəυsklə



rəυss/

noun

the hardening of a gland

adenosine

adenosine /ə



denəυsin/

noun

a drug used

to treat an irregular heartbeat

adenosine diphosphate

adenosine diphosphate /ə



denəυsin da



fɒsfet/

noun

a chemical compound which

provides energy for processes to take place

within living cells, formed when adenosine tri-

phosphate reacts with water. Abbr

ADP

adenosine triphosphate

adenosine triphosphate /ə



denəυsin

tra



fɒsfet/

noun

a chemical which occurs in

all cells, but mainly in muscle, where it forms

the energy reserve. Abbr

ATP

adenosis

adenosis /



d



nəυss/

noun

any disease or

disorder of the glands

adenovirus

adenovirus /



dnəυ



varəs/

noun

a virus

which produces upper respiratory infections

and sore throats and can cause fatal pneumonia

in infants

ADH

abbr

antidiuretic hormone

ADHD

noun

full form attention deficit hyper-

activity disorder

. 쏡 hyperactivity

adhesion

adhesion /əd



hi(ə)n/

noun

a stable connec-

tion between two parts in the body, either in a

healing process or between parts which are not

usually connected

adhesive dressing

adhesive dressing /əd



hisv dresŋ/

noun

a dressing with a sticky substance on the

back so that it can stick to the skin

adhesive strapping

adhesive strapping /əd



hisv strpŋ/

noun

overlapping strips of adhesive plaster

used to protect a lesion

adipo-

adipo- /dpəυ/

prefix

referring to fat

adipose

adipose /



dpəυs/

adjective

containing fat,

or made of fat

COMMENT: Fibrous tissue is replaced by adi-

pose tissue when more food is eaten than is

necessary.

adipose degeneration

adipose degeneration /



dpəυs d



denə



reʃ(ə)n/

noun

an accumulation of fat

in the cells of an organ such as the heart or liv-

er, which makes the organ less able to perform

its proper function. Also called

fatty degener-

ation

adipose tissue

adipose tissue /



dpəυs tʃu/

noun

a tis-

sue where the cells contain fat

adiposis

adiposis /



d



pəυss/

noun

a state where

too much fat is accumulated in the body

adiposis dolorosa

adiposis dolorosa /d



pəυss dɒlə



rəυsə/

noun

a disease of middle-aged women

in which painful lumps of fatty substance form

in the body. Also called

Dercum’s disease

adiposogenitalis

adiposogenitalis /d



pəυsəυ



den



tels/

noun

same as Fröhlich’s syndrome

adiposuria

adiposuria /ədpsəυ



juriə/

noun

the pres-

ence of fat in the urine

Medicine.fm Page 7 Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:26 PM

adiposus 8

adiposus

adiposus /



d



pəυsəs/ 쏡 panniculus adi-

posus

aditus

aditus /



dtəs/

noun

an opening or entrance

to a passage

adjustment

adjustment /ə



d"stmənt/

noun

a specific

directional high-speed movement of a joint

performed by a chiropractor

adjuvant

adjuvant /



dυvənt/

adjective

referring to

treatment by drugs or radiation therapy after

surgery for cancer

쐽

noun

a substance added to

a drug to enhance the effect of the main ingre-

dient

adjuvant therapy

adjuvant therapy /



dυvənt θerəpi/

noun

therapy using drugs or radiation after

cancer surgery

ADLs

abbr

activities of daily living

administer

administer /əd



mnstə/

verb

to give some-

one medicine or a treatment

왍 to administer

orally to give a medicine by mouth

admission

admission /əd



mʃ(ə)n/

noun

the act of be-

ing registered as a hospital patient

admit

admit /əd



mt/

verb

to register a patient in a

hospital 쑗 He was admitted to hospital this

morning.

‘80% of elderly patients admitted to geriatric units

are on medication’ [NursingTimes]

‘…ten patients were admitted to the ICU before op-

eration, the main indications being the need for eval-

uation of patients with a history of severe heart dis-

ease’ [SouthernMedical Journal]

adnexa

adnexa /d



neksə/

plural noun

structures at-

tached to an organ

adolescence

adolescence /



də



les(ə)ns/

noun

the peri-

od of life when a child is developing into an

adult

adolescent

adolescent /



də



les(ə)nt/

noun

a person

who is at the stage of life when he or she is de-

veloping into an adult

쐽

adjective

developing

into an adult, or occurring at that stage of life

쑗 adolescent boys and girls 쑗 adolescent fan-

tasies

adopt

adopt /ə



dɒpt/

verb

1. to decide to use a par-

ticular plan or idea or way of doing something

쑗 The hospital has adopted a new policy on

visiting.

2. to become the legal parent of a child

who was born to other parents

adoptive

adoptive /ə



dɒptv/

adjective

1. taking over

the role of something else 2. referring to p eo-

ple who have adopted a child or a child that has

been adopted

쑗 adoptive parents

adoptive immunotherapy

adoptive immunotherapy /ə



dɒptv m

jυnə



θerəpi/

noun

a treatment for cancer in

which the patient’s own white blood cells are

used to attack cancer cells

COMMENT: This technique can halt the growth

of cancer cells in the body but it can have dis-

tressing toxic side-effects.

ADP

abbr

adenosine diphosphate

adrenal

adrenal /ə



drin(ə)l/

adjective

situated near

the kidney

쐽

noun

same as adrenal gland

adrenal body

adrenal body /ə



drin(ə)l bɒdi/

noun

same

adrenal gland

adrenal cortex

adrenal cortex /ə



drin(ə)l kɔteks/

noun

the firm outside layer of an adrenal gland,

which secretes a series of hormones affecting

the metabolism of carbohydrates and water

adrenalectomy

adrenalectomy /ə



drinə



lektəmi/

noun

the

surgical removal of one of the adrenal glands

adrenal gland

adrenal gland /ə



drin(ə)l &lnd/

noun

one

of two endocrine glands at the top of the kid-

neys which secrete cortisone, adrenaline and

other hormones. Also called

adrenal body, ad-

renal

. See illustration at KIDNEY in Supplement

adrenaline

adrenaline /ə



drenəln/

noun

a hormone se-

creted by the medulla of the adrenal glands

which has an effect similar to stimulation of

the sympathetic nervous system

(NOTE: The US

term is epinephrine.)

COMMENT: Adrenaline is produced when a

person experiences surprise, shock, fear or

excitement and it speeds up the heartbeat

and raises blood pressure. It is administered

as an emergency treatment of acute anaphy-

laxis and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

adrenal medulla

adrenal medulla /ə



drin(ə)l me



d"lə/

noun

the inner part of the adrenal gland which se-

cretes adrenaline and noradrenaline. Also

called

suprarenal medulla

adrenergic

adrenergic /



drə



n!dk/

adjective

refer-

ring to a neurone or receptor which is stimulat-

ed by adrenaline.

쒁 beta blocker

adrenergic receptor

adrenergic receptor /



drən!dk r



septə/

noun

same as adrenoceptor

COMMENT: Three types of adrenergic receptor

act in different ways when stimulated by

adrenaline. Alpha receptors constrict the

bronchi, beta 1 receptors speed up the heart-

beat and beta 2 receptors dilate the bronchi.

adrenoceptor

adrenoceptor /ə



drenəυ



septə/

noun

a cell

or neurone which is stimulated by adrenaline.

Also called

adrenoreceptor, adrenergic re-

ceptor

adrenocortical

adrenocortical /ə



drinəυ



kɔtk(ə)l/

ad-

jective

relating to the cortex of the adrenal

glands

adrenocorticotrophic hormone

adrenocorticotrophic hormone /ə



drinəυ



kɔtəkəυtrɒfk hɔməυn/

noun

hormone secreted by the pituitary gland,

which makes the cortex of the adrenal glands

produce corticosteroids. Abbr

ACTH. Also

called

corticotrophin

adrenogenital syndrome

adrenogenital syndrome /ə



drinəυ



dent(ə)l sndrəυm/

noun

a condition

caused by overproduction of male sex hor-

mones, where boys show rapid sexual devel-

opment and females develop male characteris-

tics

adrenoleukodystrophy

adrenoleukodystrophy /ə



drinəυ



lukəυ



dstrəfi/

noun

an inherited disorder of the ad-

renal glands in boys

adrenolytic

adrenolytic /ədrinəυ



ltk/

adjective

acting

against the secretion of adrenaline

adrenoreceptor

adrenoreceptor /ə



drenəυr



septə/

noun

same as adrenoceptor

Medicine.fm Page 8 Thursday, November 20, 2003 4:26 PM