Semmelweis

[ zem-uhl-vahys ]

noun
  1. Ig·naz Phi·lipp [ig-nahts fee-lip], /ˈɪg nɑts ˈfi lɪp/, 1818–65, Hungarian obstetrician.

Words Nearby Semmelweis

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

How to use Semmelweis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Semmelweis

Semmelweis

/ (ˈsɛməlˌvaɪs) /


noun
  1. Ignaz Philipp. 1818–65, Hungarian obstetrician, who discovered the cause of puerperal infection and pioneered the use of antiseptics

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 Semmelweis

Semmelweis

[ zĕməl-vīs′ ]


  1. Hungarian physician who was a pioneer of sterile surgical practices. He proved that infectious disease and death in the obstetric clinic were caused by medical students going directly from performing autopsies to treating patients. Semmelweis instituted strict rules governing hygiene that dramatically reduced the mortality rate.

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