Hospital

Pronunciation

• GenAm IPA: /ˈhÉ‘spɪtÉ«/
• RP IPA: /ˈhÉ’spɪtÉ™l/，/~təɫ/，/~tÉ«/

Origin

From Old French hospital (Modern French hôpital), from Latin hospitālis ("hospitable"), from hospes ("host, guest")

Full definition of hospital

Noun

1. A building designed to diagnose and treat the sick, injured or dying. Usually has a staff of doctors and nurses to aid in the treatment of patients.
2. A building founded for the long term care of its residents, such as an almshouse. The residents may have no physical ailments, but simply need financial support.
3. (obsolete) A place of lodging.
• Spenser Faerie Queene, II.ix:they spide a goodly castle, plast
  Foreby a riuer in a pleasaunt dale,
  Which choosing for that euenings hospitale,
  They thither marcht ....
4. (UK, chiefly in prepositional phrases, without determiner or article) The place and state of being hospitalized.Luckily an ambulance arrived quickly and he was rushed to hospital.

Synonyms

• sickhouse

Derived terms

• cottage hospital

Related terms

• hospitable
• hospitality
• hospitaller

Adjective

1. (obsolete) hospitable----