intensive care unit
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of intensive care unit
First recorded in 1960–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In late May, Cody’s daughter Hannah Davis shared that the radio host had been admitted to the intensive care unit with heart and kidney failure.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Working in the intensive care unit, Waldorf had seen patients die with this exact combination of symptoms.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
If the virus severely affects the lungs, oxygen therapy in an intensive care unit may be necessary.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
When asked why, she claimed it reminded her of being a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit and touching her parents’ hands through the small opening in her incubator.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026
The intensive care unit is this place where there are so many nurses, you can't hardly turn around without bumping into one, which I do as soon as we get there.
From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
