intensive care unit

American  

noun

1. the specialized center in a hospital where intensive care is provided. ICU

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Etymology

Origin of intensive care unit

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

If the virus severely affects the lungs, oxygen therapy in an intensive care unit may be necessary.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

On her third visit, as Crain’s condition deteriorated, a doctor did not send Crain to the intensive care unit until he could confirm fetal demise with two ultrasounds.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

The woman was 7 months pregnant with the family’s third child, a girl, who died in a neonatal intensive care unit.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

For three months, she spent each day in the neonatal intensive care unit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Nurses and aides came running, pushing a gurney along with them, and they lifted Charles Monet onto the gurney and wheeled him into the intensive care unit at Nairobi Hospital.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston