You seem to hear it on all the television hospital dramas: “stat!” A physician says she knows it means “immediately,” but she doesn’t know its origins. Quick! Is there a Latin expert in the house? This is part of a...
Tomnibus n.— «A product of Democratic frustration with the tactics of Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and physician who has become the Dr. No of the Senate, the Tomnibus is a $10 billion collection of Coburn-blocked measures...
doorknob v.— «The request usually comes after Belkin is about to walk out of the examining room. Doctors have a name for this: Doorknobbing. Metcalf said patients often “doorknob” when they’re afraid to reveal the purpose of...
umble n.— «Even if you have layered on the clothes, you may not be immune from a condition Klegg likes to refer to as “the umbles.” These are the symptoms of hypothermia. “People start stumbling, fumbling, mumbling or...
stork mark n.— «Our baby has dark red hand marks on her cheek. Do these marks go away?…Yes, if they are stork marks, but no, if they are birthmarks. Bring this matter to the attention of your physician.» —“How to Keep...
infectobesity n.— «One year ago, the idea that microbes might cause obesity gained a foothold when the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana created the nation’s first department of viruses and obesity. It is headed by Nikhil...