Defining more than 12,500 terms, this book is essential for professionals in fields such as surgery, general practice, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry, as well as many other specialized areas. The entries include definitions, parts of speech, example sentences to illustrate the word in context, quotations from newspapers and magazines, and encyclopedic comments. With language that varies from technical to conversational, this dictionary proves a useful tool for the beginning student and experienced professional alike. American and British terms are included.