Intermediate — Set 9

Set 9 of Intermediate covers 5 words: surgeon, operation, injury, patient, illness. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. surgeon · noun/ˈsərdʒən/

   a doctor who does medical operations

   A famous German eye surgeon has carried out a new kind of operation that may help people who cannot see well.

   Synonyms: doctor, specialist

   Origin: Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French surgien, contraction of Old French serurgien, based on Latin chirurgia, from Greek kheirourgia ‘handiwork, surgery’, from kheir ‘hand’ + ergon ‘work’

2. operation · noun/ˌɑpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/

   a treatment in which a doctor cuts open your body to repair or remove something

   The boxer needs a minor operation on his hand before his next fight.

   Synonyms: surgery

   Origin: late Middle English: via Old French from Latin operatio(n-), from the verb operari ‘expend labor on’ (see operate)

3. injury · noun/ˈɪndʒ(ə)ri/

   physical damage done to a person or a part of their body

   Sarah had a bad head injury back in 2001 and completely lost her sense of smell.

   Synonyms: wound, bruise

   Origin: late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French injurie, from Latin injuria ‘a wrong’, from in- (expressing negation) + jus, jur- ‘right’

4. patient · noun/ˈpeɪʃ(ə)nt/

   someone who has an illness and is getting medical treatment

   The patients must avoid bright sunlight for at least six weeks after the treatment.

   Synonyms: sick person, sufferer

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French, from Latin patient- ‘suffering’, from the verb pati

5. illness · noun/ˈɪlnəs/

   a disease, or the state of not being well

   Many illnesses can be prevented with clean water and good food.

   Synonyms: sickness, disease

   Origin: Middle English: from ill (from Old Norse illr ‘bad’) + -ness.