Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- of or relating to the science or practice of medicine: medical history; medical treatment.
- curative; medicinal; therapeutic: medical properties.
- pertaining to or requiring treatment by other than surgical means.
- pertaining to or giving evidence of the state of one’s health: a medical discharge from the army; a medical examination.
noun
- something done or received in regard to the state of one’s health, as a medical examination.
noun
- a specialized dictionary covering terms used in the health professions by doctors, nurses, and others involved in allied health care services. A dictionary with authoritative spellings and definitions is a particularly crucial resource in medicine, where a misspelling or misunderstanding can have unfortunate consequences for people under care. Print dictionaries in this field may be sorted alphabetically or may be categorized according to medical specializations or by the various systems in the body, as the immune system and the respiratory system. The online Medical Dictionary on Dictionary.com allows alphabetical browsing in the combined electronic versions of more than one authoritative medical reference, insuring access to correct spellings, as well as immediate, direct access to a known search term typed into the search box on the site: A medical dictionary reveals that large numbers of medical terms are formed from the same Latin and Greek parts combined and recombined.
adjective
- of or relating to the science of medicine or to the treatment of patients by drugs, etc, as opposed to surgery
- a less common word for medicinal
noun
- informal a medical examination
adj.1640s, from French médical, from Late Latin medicalis “of a physician,” from Latin medicus “physician, surgeon, medical man” (n.); “healing, madicinal” (adj.), from mederi “to heal, give medical attention to, cure,” originally “know the best course for,” from an early specialization of the PIE root *med- “to measure, limit, consider, advise, take appropriate measures” (cf. Greek medomai “be mindful of,” medein “to rule;” Avestan vi-mad- “physician;” Latin meditari “think or reflect on, consider;” Irish miduir “judge;” Old English metan “to measure out”); also see meditation. The earlier adjective in English in this sense was medicinal. Related: Medically. n.1917, short for medical examination. adj.
- Of, relating to, or characterizing the study or practice of medicine.
- Requiring treatment by medicine.
n.
- A thorough physical examination.