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recovery room

American  

noun

  1. a room near the operating or delivery room of a hospital, equipped with specific apparatus and staffed by specially trained personnel for emergencies, used for the recovery from anesthesia of a postoperative or obstetrical patient before being brought to a hospital room or ward.


Etymology

Origin of recovery room

First recorded in 1915–20

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.

For the ultimate in relaxation, there is a recovery room equipped with a sauna, cold plunge, and hot tub.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 14, 2025

Her husband was able to be with her in the operating theatre and then in the recovery room for an hour, before being told Covid restrictions meant he had to leave.

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2024

"The patient became cyanotic with blue lips, movements stopped, the muscles relaxed, deep breathing followed, cyanosis waned, and color returned to the lips as the patient was moved to a recovery room."

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2023

When I woke up in the recovery room I was greeted with apple juice and a realization: I was fine.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2023

Suddenly the courtyard outside my recovery room window is ablaze, the entire space filled with the twinkling holiday lights from the park, twisting around the lampposts and the trees.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott