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hospital

- 7 dictionary results

hos⋅pi⋅tal

[hos-pi-tl]
–noun
1. an institution in which sick or injured persons are given medical or surgical treatment.
2. a similar establishment for the care of animals.
3. a repair shop for specific portable objects: violin hospital; doll hospital.
4. British. an institution supported by charity or taxes for the care of the needy, as an orphanage or old people's home.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME hospitale < ML, n. use of neut. of L hospitālis hospitable, equiv. to hospit- (see hospitium ) + -ālis -al 1
hos·pi·tal   (hŏs'pĭ-tl, -pĭt'l)   
n.  
  1. An institution that provides medical, surgical, or psychiatric care and treatment for the sick or the injured.
  2. Chiefly British A charitable institution, such as an orphanage or a home for the elderly.
  3. A repair shop for specified items: a doll hospital.
  4. Archaic A hospice for travelers or pilgrims.

[Middle English, hospice, from Old French ospital, from Medieval Latin hospitāle, from neuter of Latin hospitālis, of a guest, from hospes, hospit-, guest; see ghos-ti- in Indo-European roots.]

Hospital

Hos"pi*tal\, n. [OF. hospital, ospital, F. h[^o]pital, LL. hospitale (or perh. E. hospital is directly from the Late Latin), from L. hospitalis relating to a guest, hospitalia apartments for guests, fr. hospes guest. See Host a landlord, and cf. Hostel, Hotel, Spital.]

1. A place for shelter or entertainment; an inn. [Obs.] --Spenser.

2. A building in which the sick, injured, or infirm are received and treated; a public or private institution founded for reception and cure, or for the refuge, of persons diseased in body or mind, or disabled, infirm, or dependent, and in which they are treated either at their own expense, or more often by charity in whole or in part; a tent, building, or other place where the sick or wounded of an army cared for.

Hospital ship, a vessel fitted up for a floating hospital.

Hospital Sunday, a Sunday set apart for simultaneous contribution in churches to hospitals; as, the London Hospital Sunday.

Hospital

Hos"pi*tal\, a. [L. hospitalis: cf. OF. hospital.] Hospitable. [Obs.] --Howell.
Language Translation for : hospital
Spanish: hospital,
German: das Krankenhaus,
Japanese: 病院

hospital 
1242, "shelter for the needy," from O.Fr. hospital "hostel," from L.L. hospitale "guest-house, inn," neut. of L. adj. hospitalis "of a guest or host," from hospes (gen. hospitis); see host (1). Later "charitable institution to house and maintain the needy" (1418); sense of "institution for sick people" is first recorded 1549. Hospitalize is from 1901, "Freq(uently) commented on as an unhappy formation" [OED].

Main Entry: hos·pi·tal
Pronunciation: 'häs-"pit-&l
Function: noun
often attributive 1 : a charitableinstitution for the needy, aged, infirm, or young
2 a : an institution where the sick or injured are given medical or surgical care —when used in British English following apreposition, the article is usually omitted hospital —Robert Graves> b : a place for the care and treatment of sick and injured animals

hospital hos·pi·tal (hŏs'pĭ-tl, -pĭt'l)
n.
An institution that provides medical, surgical, or psychiatric care and treatment for the sick or the injured.

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