Using a Medical Dictionary Medical Terminology Utah State

Using a Medical Dictionary Medical Terminology Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • Even with the best deciphering skills, your analysis of an unfamiliar term can sometimes produce a strangesounding definition. • If your word analysis result doesn’t seem right, consult a reliable medical dictionary. Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • You may notice some minor differences among medical dictionary definitions. • One definition may be easier to understand than another. A combination of definitions may provide a more complete meaning. • Sometimes the term you are looking for is not in one dictionary, but found in another. Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • If you have an idea of the correct spelling, you can find the correct page and word easily. • If you are uncertain of the spelling, concentrate on the sound of the first part of the word. – Remember that some letters sound alike. • C and S and Ps • Ph and F Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • If you are working with a new or unfamiliar term and you don’t know the spelling, try to visualize all the different possible spellings of the term and check your dictionary for each one. Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • A medical dictionary can be a great help even if you only need to confirm your understanding of a term’s meaning. • You may find some additional information that you were unaware of, or you may learn that your understanding of the meaning was inaccurate. Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • If you don’t find the term you are looking for in the first medical dictionary you try, switch to a different one. Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • The three major English medical dictionaries are: – Stedman's – Taber's – Dorland's • Many of the dictionaries have multiple versions, some targeted at health professionals and some for general use. Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • Don’t overlook resources on the Internet. Here a few online medical dictionaries: – http: //medical-dictionary. com – http: //www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/dictionarie s. html – http: //www. online-dictionary. net/ medical/ • There are many others to choose from. Utah State Office of Education

Using A Medical Dictionary • Most medical dictionaries use a standard dictionary format: – Word (pronunciation) definition(s). • Whole words, prefixes, word roots, and suffixes are all found in dictionaries. Utah State Office of Education

Summary • Today’s medical dictionaries contain more than 100, 000 entries. • Different dictionaries can have slightly different definitions that may give you a more complete meaning to a term. • Medical dictionaries are a smart way to help you understand the complex language of medical terminology. Utah State Office of Education