ambulatory

[ am-byuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]
See synonyms for ambulatory on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of, relating to, or capable of walking: an ambulatory exploration of the countryside.

  2. adapted for walking, as the limbs of many animals.

  1. moving about or from place to place; not stationary: an ambulatory tribe.

  2. Also ambulant. Medicine/Medical.

    • not confined to bed; able or strong enough to walk: an ambulatory patient.

    • serving patients who are able to walk: an ambulatory care center.

  3. Law. not fixed; alterable or revocable: ambulatory will.

noun,plural am·bu·la·to·ries.
  1. Also called deambulatory. Architecture.

    • an aisle surrounding the end of the choir or chancel of a church.

    • the covered walk of a cloister.

Origin of ambulatory

1
1615–25; <Latin ambulātōrius, equivalent to ambulā-, stem of ambulāre (see amble) + -tōrius -tory1

Other words from ambulatory

  • am·bu·la·to·ri·ly, adverb
  • non·am·bu·la·to·ry, adjective, noun, plural non·am·bu·la·to·ries.

Words Nearby ambulatory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ambulatory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ambulatory

ambulatory

/ (ˈæmbjʊlətərɪ) /


adjective
  1. of, relating to, or designed for walking

  2. changing position; not fixed

  1. Also: ambulant able to walk

  2. law (esp of a will) capable of being altered or revoked

nounplural -ries
  1. architect

    • an aisle running around the east end of a church, esp one that passes behind the sanctuary

    • a place for walking, such as an aisle or a cloister

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012