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Medicine vocabulary · History Taking and Examination

Temperature

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈtemprətʃər/nounCore term

In medicine, temperature means: How hot the body is, measured with a thermometer; patients and doctors also say someone 'has a temperature' when it is higher than normal.

In Turkish: vücut sıcaklığı, ateş

How it is used

One of the vital signs. Nurses 'take' or 'check' a temperature, usually in the ear, mouth or armpit. The UK uses degrees Celsius; in the US Fahrenheit is common. 'Spike a temperature' means it suddenly goes up.

Example sentences

  1. He spiked a temperature of 39.2 overnight, so we sent blood cultures.

  2. Has your little girl had a temperature today?

Common collocations

  • take someone's temperature
  • high temperature
  • spike a temperature
  • body temperature
  • temperature chart
  • feverA body temperature higher than normal, usually above about 38 °C, often a sign that the body is fighting an infection.
  • vital signsThe basic body measurements checked to see how ill a patient is: temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure, and often oxygen level.
  • blood cultureA test in which blood is put into special bottles and incubated to see whether bacteria or fungi are growing in the bloodstream.
  • infectionAn illness caused when bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites enter the body and multiply.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: History Taking and Examination

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.