infirmary

[ in-fur-muh-ree ]

/ ɪnˈfɜr mə ri /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR infirmary ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural in·fir·ma·ries.

a place for the care of the infirm, sick, or injured; hospital or facility serving as a hospital: a school infirmary.

a dispensary.

RELATED WORDS

dispensary, hospital, sickroom

Nearby words

Origin of infirmary

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word infirmāria. See infirm, -ary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for infirmary

The captain replied, “Well, he was a mess, so the first thing we did was get him to the infirmary to get him cleaned up.”
Tom Hanks on His Riveting Oscar Moment That Ends ‘Captain Phillips’|Marlow Stern|October 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He can barely make out what the woman in the infirmary is saying.
Tom Hanks on His Riveting Oscar Moment That Ends ‘Captain Phillips’|Marlow Stern|October 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She remained in the infirmary after returning to jail, and Carter declined to elaborate on the nature of her medical condition.
Did Julie Schenecker Kill Her Kids?|Amy Green|February 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
And Polly, her message delivered, fainted dead away in Miss Kings arms and was carried back unconscious to the infirmary.
Polly's First Year at Boarding School|Dorothy Whitehill

Mary Pavlovna was very anxious, and had asked to be allowed to go to the infirmary as a nurse, but could not get the permission.
Resurrection|Leo Tolstoy
If the deceased died in a hospital, infirmary, or lunatic asylum, the medical witness is not paid any fee.
Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology|W. G. Aitchison Robertson
I was carried into the cabin, and after a short delay conveyed in a carriage to the Infirmary or hospital.
Jack in the Forecastle|John Sherburne Sleeper
She asked him whether he would like to see a clergyman, and explained that the chaplain of the infirmary was a good man.
His Majesty Baby and Some Common People|Ian MacLaren

British Dictionary definitions for infirmary

infirmary

/ (ɪnˈfɜːmərɪ) /

noun plural -ries

a place for the treatment of the sick or injured; dispensary; hospital

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

Word Origin and History for infirmary

infirmary

mid-15c., "sick bay in a monastery," from Medieval Latin infirmaria "a place for the infirm," from Latin infirmus "weak, frail," (see infirm). The common name for a public hospital in 18c. England.

Medicine definitions for infirmary

infirmary

[ ĭn-fûr′mə-rē ]

n.

A place for the care of the infirm, sick, or injured, especially a small hospital or clinic in an institution or school.