Medical Idioms
at death's door
- very near death
The sales manager was at death's door after having a heart attack.
back on one's feet
- to be physically healthy again
My mother is back on her feet after being sick for two weeks.
black out
- to lose consciousness, to faint, to pass out
The football player blacked out after being hit by the other player.
break out in (something)
- to begin showing a rash or other skin disorder
I broke out in a terrible rash after eating the raw shrimp at the restaurant.
breathe one's last
- to die
The man breathed his last after a long illness.
bring (someone) around
- to restore someone to health or consciousness, to cure someone
The medical workers were able to bring the man around after the accident.
bring (someone) to
- to restore someone to consciousness from sleep/anesthesia/hypnosis/fainting
We tried hard to bring the woman to after the car accident.
catch a cold
- to get a cold
I caught a bad cold last week and had to miss three weeks of work.
catch one's death of cold
- to become very ill (with a cold/flu etc.)
The little boy was told to be careful in the rain or he would catch his death of cold.
check-up
- an examination of a patient by a doctor
I went to have my annual check-up last week.
clean bill of health
- a report or certificate that a person or animal is healthy
The doctor gave me a clean bill of health when I visited him last month.
come down with (something)
- to become sick with something, to catch something
My niece came down with a bad cold and was unable to visit me last week.
couch doctor
- a psychoanalyst who puts his patients on a couch
The man was sent to see a couch doctor because of his his problems at work.
a dose/taste of one's own medicine
- the same treatment that one gives to others (usually a negative meaning)
Our boss got a taste of his own medicine when people began to treat him badly like he treats others.
draw blood
- to make someone bleed, to get blood from someone
The doctor decided to draw blood from the patient to check his blood sugar level.
fall ill
- to become sick or ill
The man fell ill last winter and has not recovered yet.
feel on top of the world
- to feel very healthy
I have been feeling on top of the world since I quit my job.
flare up
- to begin again suddenly (an illness or a disease)
My mother's skin problem flared up when she started to use the new laundry soap.
a flare-up
- a sudden worsening of a health condition
My father's arthritus flares up every winter.
go under the knife
- to be operated on in surgery
The woman went under the knife at the hospital last evening.
hang out one's shingle
- to give public notice of the opening of a doctor's office etc.
The doctor decided to hang out his shingle as soon as he finished medical school.
have a physical (examination)
- to get a medical check-up
Our company sent all the employees to have a physical last week.
head shrinker
- a psychiatrist
The man went to see a head shrinker after his recent problems at work.
just what the doctor ordered
- exactly what is needed or wanted
A nice hot bath was just what the doctor ordered after the long day at work.
look the picture of health
- to be in good health
My uncle looked the picture of health when I saw him last week.
on the mend
- healing, becoming better
My grandfather is on the mend after he broke his leg last week.
out cold
- to be unconscious, to be in a faint
When the patient entered the operating room he was out cold because of the anesthesia.
over the worst
- to be recovering from an illness
My brother is over the worst since his skiing accident last month. pull through
- to recover from a serious illness
The car accident was very bad and I do not think that the driver will pull through.
run a fever/temperature
- to have a higher than normal body temperature
The little boy is running a temperature and should stay in bed all day.
run down
- to be in poor condition
My father worked very hard last month and has become run down.
run some tests
- to do some medical tests on a patient
The doctor decided to run some tests on the patient.
splitting headache
- a severe headache
I have been suffering from a splitting headache all morning.
take a turn for the worse
- to become sicker
My aunt took a turn for the worse last week and she is still in the hospital. take (someone's) temperature
- to measure someone's body temperature
The nurse took my temperature when I went to the hospital yesterday.
throw up
- to vomit
The woman threw up several times after eating the bad shellfish.
under the weather
- to be not feeling well
My boss has been under the weather all week and has not come to work during that time.
- very near death
The sales manager was at death's door after having a heart attack.
back on one's feet
- to be physically healthy again
My mother is back on her feet after being sick for two weeks.
black out
- to lose consciousness, to faint, to pass out
The football player blacked out after being hit by the other player.
break out in (something)
- to begin showing a rash or other skin disorder
I broke out in a terrible rash after eating the raw shrimp at the restaurant.
breathe one's last
- to die
The man breathed his last after a long illness.
bring (someone) around
- to restore someone to health or consciousness, to cure someone
The medical workers were able to bring the man around after the accident.
bring (someone) to
- to restore someone to consciousness from sleep/anesthesia/hypnosis/fainting
We tried hard to bring the woman to after the car accident.
catch a cold
- to get a cold
I caught a bad cold last week and had to miss three weeks of work.
catch one's death of cold
- to become very ill (with a cold/flu etc.)
The little boy was told to be careful in the rain or he would catch his death of cold.
check-up
- an examination of a patient by a doctor
I went to have my annual check-up last week.
clean bill of health
- a report or certificate that a person or animal is healthy
The doctor gave me a clean bill of health when I visited him last month.
come down with (something)
- to become sick with something, to catch something
My niece came down with a bad cold and was unable to visit me last week.
couch doctor
- a psychoanalyst who puts his patients on a couch
The man was sent to see a couch doctor because of his his problems at work.
a dose/taste of one's own medicine
- the same treatment that one gives to others (usually a negative meaning)
Our boss got a taste of his own medicine when people began to treat him badly like he treats others.
draw blood
- to make someone bleed, to get blood from someone
The doctor decided to draw blood from the patient to check his blood sugar level.
fall ill
- to become sick or ill
The man fell ill last winter and has not recovered yet.
feel on top of the world
- to feel very healthy
I have been feeling on top of the world since I quit my job.
flare up
- to begin again suddenly (an illness or a disease)
My mother's skin problem flared up when she started to use the new laundry soap.
a flare-up
- a sudden worsening of a health condition
My father's arthritus flares up every winter.
go under the knife
- to be operated on in surgery
The woman went under the knife at the hospital last evening.
hang out one's shingle
- to give public notice of the opening of a doctor's office etc.
The doctor decided to hang out his shingle as soon as he finished medical school.
have a physical (examination)
- to get a medical check-up
Our company sent all the employees to have a physical last week.
head shrinker
- a psychiatrist
The man went to see a head shrinker after his recent problems at work.
just what the doctor ordered
- exactly what is needed or wanted
A nice hot bath was just what the doctor ordered after the long day at work.
look the picture of health
- to be in good health
My uncle looked the picture of health when I saw him last week.
on the mend
- healing, becoming better
My grandfather is on the mend after he broke his leg last week.
out cold
- to be unconscious, to be in a faint
When the patient entered the operating room he was out cold because of the anesthesia.
over the worst
- to be recovering from an illness
My brother is over the worst since his skiing accident last month. pull through
- to recover from a serious illness
The car accident was very bad and I do not think that the driver will pull through.
run a fever/temperature
- to have a higher than normal body temperature
The little boy is running a temperature and should stay in bed all day.
run down
- to be in poor condition
My father worked very hard last month and has become run down.
run some tests
- to do some medical tests on a patient
The doctor decided to run some tests on the patient.
splitting headache
- a severe headache
I have been suffering from a splitting headache all morning.
take a turn for the worse
- to become sicker
My aunt took a turn for the worse last week and she is still in the hospital. take (someone's) temperature
- to measure someone's body temperature
The nurse took my temperature when I went to the hospital yesterday.
throw up
- to vomit
The woman threw up several times after eating the bad shellfish.
under the weather
- to be not feeling well
My boss has been under the weather all week and has not come to work during that time.
