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A&E

Trademark.
  1. Arts and Entertainment: a cable television channel.


A & E

abbreviation for

  1. Accident and Emergency (department in hospitals)
“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


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More About A & E

What does A & E mean?

A&E is an American TV cable network, initially focused on the fine arts and documentaries. A&E is part of the A&E Networks, which today includes other channels such as History and Lifetime.

A&E is also an abbreviation for “arts and entertainment,” which is where the cable network gets its name. You’ll see this term used in education, criticism, and written publications to describe creative works, such as books, movies, music, art, video games, drama, and poetry.

In the UK, A & E is most often used as an abbreviation to mean “accident and emergency.” While it is often spelled with spaces within the term, you will also see it without (A&E), especially in casual writing.

A & E refers to the accident and emergency department of a UK hospital. In the United States, it would be called the emergency room, or ER. You would visit the A & E when you need immediate treatment for serious or life-threatening illness or trauma or other medical emergencies.

Example: When my mother had a bad fall, I immediately called an ambulance to take her to the A & E for help.

Where does A & E come from?

The first records of the abbreviation A & E to mean “accident and emergency” come from around the 1960s. The A&E Network was formed in 1984 through a merger of the Alpha Repertory Television Service (ARTS) cable service and The Entertainment Channel. The company launched the Arts & Entertainment Network channel, commonly referred to as simply A&E, that same year.

The emergency medicine department at UK hospitals was initially called casualty or the casualty ward. The casualty ward mostly treated patients who needed emergency surgery or were in life-threatening condition. Beginning in 1960s and 1970s, the National Health Service (NHS), the national organizational body of medicine in the UK, reorganized its emergency services to be more inclusive and stringent and changed the name to A & E. While some people still refer to a hospital’s A & E as “casualty,” others will refer to it as the “ER.” Whatever it’s called, you can be glad there are doctors and nurses available to help you in an emergency.

Did you know … ?

What are some words that often get used in discussing A & E?

How is A & E used in real life?

When A & E is spaced out, it most often refers to “accident and emergency” and when it isn’t spaced out, it usually refers to “arts and entertainment,” particularly the television channel.

Try using A & E!

Is A & E used correctly in the following sentence?

I came into the A & E for my annual checkup and the doctor said I am healthy.

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