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Nursing and medical dictionary

Nursing and medical terms in plain words: what each one means, how to say it, the word parts it is built from, and why it matters at the bedside.

Word of the day · Oct 17, 2026

apical pulse

AP-ih-kul puls · noun

The heartbeat counted by listening with a stethoscope over the tip (apex) of the heart, on the left side of the chest.

Full entry
ChlamydiaA sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis; also the name of the bacterium.
chlor/oA word part that means green; in chemistry words it stands for chlorine.
chloramphenicolA broad-spectrum antibiotic kept for serious infections when safer antibiotics cannot be used.
chlordiazepoxideA long-acting benzodiazepine used for anxiety and for alcohol withdrawal.
chlorideA negatively charged mineral (electrolyte) in the blood that works with sodium to keep fluid and acid-base balance.
chloroquineAn oral drug used to prevent and treat malaria in areas where the parasite is still sensitive to it.
chlorpromazineAn older antipsychotic drug, also used for severe nausea and vomiting and for hiccups that will not stop.
chlorpropamideAn older oral diabetes drug of the sulfonylurea group that makes the pancreas release more insulin.
chol/eA word root that means bile or gall.
cholecalciferolVitamin D3, the form of vitamin D the skin makes in sunlight, also taken as a supplement.
cholecyst/oA word part that means the gallbladder.
cholecystectomySurgery to remove the gallbladder.
cholecystitisInflammation of the gallbladder.
choledoch/oA word root that means the common bile duct.
cholelithiasisStones in the gallbladder.
cholesterolA waxy fat made by the liver and found in animal foods, which the body uses to build cells and hormones.
cholinergic agonistA drug that acts like acetylcholine, the main messenger of the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") nervous system.
chondr/oA word root that means cartilage.
chorionic villus samplingA prenatal test that takes a small sample of tissue from the placenta to check the baby's chromosomes and genes.
chrom/oA word root that means color.
chromosomeA thread-like structure in the nucleus of a cell that carries the genes, made of tightly packed DNA.
chronicLasting a long time or coming back again and again, usually for three months or more.
chronic bronchitisA long-term inflammation of the airways (bronchi) in the lungs, and one of the main forms of COPD.
chronic conditionA health problem that lasts a long time, usually a year or more, and needs ongoing care or limits daily life.
chronic diseaseA health condition that lasts a long time, usually a year or more, and is managed rather than cured.
chronic hypertensionHigh blood pressure that lasts over time; in pregnancy, high blood pressure that began before pregnancy or before 20 weeks.
chronic illnessA long-lasting health condition, usually of three months or more, that can be managed but often not cured.
chronic inflammationInflammation that lasts for months or years instead of clearing in days.
chronic kidney diseaseKidney damage or reduced kidney function that lasts longer than three months.
chronic painPain that lasts longer than about 3 months or past the time tissues normally take to heal.
Chvostek signA twitch of the muscles of the face when the facial nerve, just in front of the ear, is tapped.
chymeThe thick, soupy mix of partly digested food and digestive juices that passes from the stomach into the small intestine.
ciliaTiny hair-like structures on the surface of some cells that move in waves.
cimetidineAn H2 blocker taken by mouth that lowers the amount of acid the stomach makes.
ciprofloxacinA fluoroquinolone antibiotic, by mouth or IV, used for urinary, gut, bone and some lung infections.
circularShaped like a circle, or moving in a circle.
circulationThe movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels around the body.
circulatoryRelating to the movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels.
circulatory overloadMore fluid in the blood vessels than the heart and circulation can handle.
circulatory systemThe heart, blood vessels and blood, which together move blood around the body.
circum-A word beginning that means around.
circumcisionSurgery to remove the foreskin, the skin that covers the tip of the penis.
cirrhosisLong-term scarring of the liver, in which scar tissue replaces healthy tissue and keeps the liver from working normally.
cisplatinA platinum-based cancer drug given by IV that damages the DNA of cancer cells.
citalopramAn SSRI antidepressant used to treat depression.
CIWAClinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol: a scoring tool nurses use to rate how severe a client's alcohol withdrawal is.
CK-MBA blood test for the form of the enzyme creatine kinase found mainly in heart muscle.
clampA device that squeezes something shut, such as a tube or blood vessel, to stop flow.
clavicleThe long, slightly S-shaped bone that runs from the top of the breastbone to the shoulder; the collarbone.
cleft lipA split or opening in the upper lip that is present at birth.