Dictionary.com

hospice

[ hos-pis ]
/ ˈhɒs pɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR hospice

noun

a house of shelter or rest for pilgrims, strangers, etc., especially one kept by a religious order.
Medicine/Medical.
  1. a healthcare facility for the terminally ill that emphasizes pain control and emotional support for the patient and family, typically refraining from taking extraordinary measures to prolong life.
  2. a similar program of care and support for the terminally ill at home or in a nursing home.

QUIZZES

BECOME A PRO CHEF WITH THIS EXQUISITE CUISINE QUIZ!

Even if you can't be a professional chef, you can at least talk like one with this vocabulary quiz.
Question 1 of 9
You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of hospice

First recorded in 1810–20; from French, from Latin hospitium “hospitable reception, entertainment”; see hospitium

Words nearby hospice

Hoshana Rabbah, hosier, hosiery, hosing, hosp., hospice, hospitable, hospital, hospital bed, hospital corner, Hospitaler
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to hospice

nursing home, shelter, clinic, ward, infirmary, emergency room, sanitarium, surgery, asylum, institution, sanatorium, rest home, sick bay

Example sentences from the Web for hospice

British Dictionary definitions for hospice

hospice
/ (ˈhɒspɪs) /

noun plural hospices

a nursing home that specializes in caring for the terminally ill
Also called: hospitium (hɒˈspɪtɪəm) plural hospitia (hɒˈspɪtɪə) archaic a place of shelter for travellers, esp one kept by a monastic order

Word Origin for hospice

C19: from French, from Latin hospitium hospitality, from hospes guest, host 1
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

Medical definitions for hospice

hospice
[ hŏs′pĭs ]

n.

A program or facility that provides palliative care and attends to the emotional, spiritual, social, and financial needs of terminally ill patients at a facility or at a patient's home.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.