Advanced — Set 2

Set 2 of Advanced covers 5 words: symptom, prescription, insurance, vaccine, sanitation. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. symptom · noun/ˈsɪm(p)təm/

   a sign that indicates an illness or another problem

   When she developed breathing problems and started feeling excessively tired, her doctor feared it was a symptom of heart failure.

   Synonyms: sign, indication, warning sign

   Origin: late Middle English synthoma, from medieval Latin, based on Greek sumptōma ‘chance, symptom’, from sumpiptein ‘happen’; later influenced by French symptome

2. prescription · noun/priˈskrɪpʃ(ə)n/

   a written instruction from a medical professional authorizing medicine or treatment

   After an examination of the child's ears, the doctor assured the parents that it was only a minor infection and wrote a prescription for some ear drops.

   Synonyms: order, script

   Origin: late Middle English (as a legal term): via Old French from Latin praescriptio(n-), from the verb praescribere (see prescribe). prescription (sense 1) dates from the late 16th century

3. insurance · noun/ɪnˈʃʊrəns/

   an arrangement in which a company provides financial protection against specified risks in exchange for payment

   The study looked at the country's health insurance crisis and the growing number of people who went without medical attention because they couldn't afford coverage.

   Synonyms: coverage, protection, assurance

   Origin: late Middle English (originally as ensurance in the sense ‘ensuring, assurance, a guarantee’): from Old French enseurance, from enseurer (see ensure). insurance (sense 1) dates from the mid 17th century

4. vaccine · noun/vækˈsin/

   a substance given to stimulate the body's immune system to produce antibodies against a certain disease

   Routine vaccines help the immune system recognize and respond to specific infections.

   Synonyms: vaccination, shot

   Origin: late 18th century: from Latin vaccinus, from vacca ‘cow’ (because of the early use of the cowpox virus against smallpox)

5. sanitation · noun/ˌsænəˈteɪʃ(ə)n/

   the state of being clean; conditions concerning public health, such as clean water and sewage facilities

   The factory was forced to improve its facilities by the sanitation department, which demanded that extra toilets be built to accommodate the number of workers.

   Synonyms: cleanliness, hygiene

   Origin: mid 19th century: formed irregularly from sanitary