hospital

[hos-pi-tl]

noun

1. an institution in which sick or injured people are given medical or surgical treatment.

2. a similar establishment for the care of animals.

3. a repair shop for specific portable objects: doll hospital.

   violin hospital;

   doll hospital.

4. British.,  an institution supported by charity or taxes for people in need of care, as a children's home or nursing home.

hospital

/ ˈhɒspɪtəl /

noun

1. an institution for the medical, surgical, obstetric, or psychiatric care and treatment of patients

2. (modifier) having the function of a hospital

   a hospital ship

3. a repair shop for something specified

   a dolls' hospital

4. archaic,  a charitable home, hospice, or school

Other Word Forms

• minihospital noun
• multihospital adjective
• posthospital adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hospital¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (h)ospital, “lodging for pilgrims and travelers, hostel,” Old French (h)ospital, from Medieval Latin hospitāle “guesthouse, inn,” noun use of neuter of Latin hospitālis “hospitable,” equivalent to hospit- stem of hospes “guest, visitor, host” + -ālis -al ¹ ( def. ); hospitium

Word History and Origins

Origin of hospital¹

C13: from Medieval Latin hospitāle hospice, from Latin hospitālis relating to a guest, from hospes, hospit- guest, _host ¹

Example Sentences

After two fruitless visits to the station, the couple went to the Prince of Wales Hospital on Friday only to learn that no public hospital had admitted the elderly woman.

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Although hospitals are seeing more patients with these symptoms, many providers are still unfamiliar with the condition because it has only recently been defined.

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He received specialist medical treatment at the scene and was taken to hospital but later died.

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"We get a lot of medical supplies donated from hospitals, so there wasn't much room to develop it as a furniture retail place," he said.

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Mason, now 18, was taken to hospital with a suspected broken femur, and his friend's mum suffered a broken ankle.

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Related Words

• clinic 
• emergency room 
• hospice 
• institution 
• nursing home 
• ward