hospital

[ hos-pi-tl ]
See synonyms for hospital on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an institution in which sick or injured people are given medical or surgical treatment.

  2. a similar establishment for the care of animals.

  1. a repair shop for specific portable objects: violin hospital;doll hospital.

  2. British. an institution supported by charity or taxes for people in need of care, as a children's home or nursing home.

Origin of hospital

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (h)ospital, “lodging for pilgrims and travelers, hostel,” Old French (h)ospital, from Medieval Latin hospitāle “guesthouse, inn,” noun use of neuter of Latin hospitālis “hospitable,” equivalent to hospit- stem of hospes “guest, visitor, host” + -ālis -al1; see also hospitium

Other words from hospital

  • min·i·hos·pi·tal, noun
  • mul·ti·hos·pi·tal, adjective
  • post·hos·pi·tal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for hospital

hospital

/ (ˈhɒspɪtəl) /


noun
  1. an institution for the medical, surgical, obstetric, or psychiatric care and treatment of patients

  2. (modifier) having the function of a hospital: a hospital ship

  1. a repair shop for something specified: a dolls' hospital

  2. archaic a charitable home, hospice, or school

Origin of hospital

1
C13: from Medieval Latin hospitāle hospice, from Latin hospitālis relating to a guest, from hospes, hospit- guest, host 1

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