geriatrics

[ jer-ee-a-triks, jeer- ]
See synonyms for geriatrics on Thesaurus.com
noun(used with a singular verb)
  1. the branch of medicine dealing with the diseases, debilities, and care of aged people.

  2. the study of the physical processes and problems of aging; gerontology.

Origin of geriatrics

1
First recorded in 1905–10; see origin at geriatric, -ics

Other words from geriatrics

  • ger·i·a·tri·cian [jer-ee-uh-trish-uhn], /ˌdʒɛr i əˈtrɪʃ ən/, ger·i·at·rist, noun

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British Dictionary definitions for geriatrics

geriatrics

/ (ˌdʒɛrɪˈætrɪks) /


noun
  1. (functioning as singular) the branch of medical science concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting older people: Compare gerontology

usage For geriatrics

The term geriatric medicine is often used nowadays in preference to geriatrics

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

Scientific definitions for geriatrics

geriatrics

[ jĕr′ē-ătrĭks ]


  1. The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions of the elderly.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.