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.
"This person is currently being treated in the intensive care unit in Johannesburg and is in a critical but stable condition," said Oceanwide Expeditions.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
On her third visit, as Crain’s condition deteriorated, a doctor did not send Crain to the intensive care unit until he could confirm fetal demise with two ultrasounds.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026
The woman was 7 months pregnant with the family’s third child, a girl, who died in a neonatal intensive care unit.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
He was transferred to a specialist neonatal intensive care unit, but after discussions with clinicians, Eve and Thomas agreed to move him to palliative care.
From BBC • Jan. 27, 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.
