From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhospitalhos‧pi‧tal /ˈhɒspɪtl $ ˈhɑː-/ ●●● S1 W1 noun [countable, uncountable] MHHOSPITALa large building where sick or injured people receive medical treatment They are building a new hospital.in hospital British English She visited him in hospital.in the hospital American English Two people are in the hospital with serious burns.COLLOCATIONSverbsgo to hospital British English, go to the hospital American EnglishThe pain got worse and she had to go to the hospital.be taken/rushed/airlifted to hospital British English, be taken/rushed/airlifted to the hospital American EnglishThree people were taken to hospital after a crash on the motorway.be admitted to hospital British English, be admitted to the hospital American EnglishHe was admitted to hospital suffering from chest pain.leave/come out of hospital British English, leave/come out of the hospital American EnglishHer mother never left the hospital.be discharged/released from hospital British English, be discharged/released from the hospital American English (=be allowed to leave a hospital because you are better)It was several weeks before he was released from hospital.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + hospitala psychiatric hospital (also a mental hospital old-fashioned) (=for people with mental illnesses)He was admitted to a secure psychiatric hospital.a children’s hospitalan important children’s hospitala maternity hospital British English (=for women having babies)Many maternity hospitals have been forced to close.hospital + NOUNhospital treatment/careWhat do older people think of hospital care?a hospital stay (=the period someone spends in hospital)New surgical techniques mean a hospital stay of less than 48 hours.a hospital bedThere is a shortage of hospital beds.a hospital ward/roomnurses working on hospital wardsTHESAURUShospital a large building where sick or injured people receive medical treatmentHe was taken by ambulance to the local hospital.the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford a mental hospitalmedical center American English a large hospital, which often has many different departments, including areas for researcha discovery by doctors at the New England Medical Centerclinic a place, often in a hospital, where medical treatment and advice is given to people who do not need to stay in a hospitala family-planning clinic (=which gives people help and advice about birth control)a special clinic for people with drug and alcohol problemshospice a special hospital for people who are dyingThey are hoping to raise funds to build a hospice for sick and dying children. nursing home/old people's home (also home) a place where people who are old and ill can live and be looked after, by nursesShe doesn't want to end up in a nursing home. sanatorium a place where people recovering after a long illness were sent in the past, so that they could rest and receive special careHe was sent to a sanatorium in the Swiss Alps.parts of a hospitalA&E/casualty British English, emergency room/ER American English the part of a hospital where people who are injured or who need urgent treatment are broughtA&E waiting times have gone down.A 33-year-old man was brought to the emergency room in a coma. operating theatre British English, operating room American English a room in a hospital where operations are doneMrs Barnett was in the operating theatre for 11 hours while the transplant was carried out. intensive care the part of a hospital where people who are very seriously ill or badly injured are cared forMr Dye is in intensive care with head injuries. unit part of a hospital where a particular kind of treatment is carried outthe burns unitthe fertility unitward a large room in a hospital where people who need medical treatment staythe women's wardShe works as a nurse on a busy hospital ward.
Examples from the Corpus
hospital• He hugged hundreds of babies, shook thousands of hands and cut ribbons at new universities, high-tech factories and a hospital.• Riley remained on the island - he was in hospital recovering from injuries.• I was in hospital for eight weeks after the accident.• Lucy works as a nurse at the local hospital.• There is an urgent need to make more hospital beds available for long-term patients.• A diabetic, she spent two days in the hospital last week when stress sent her blood pressure rocketing.• Emmanuel suffered a miscarriage two weeks later and was taken to the hospital shackled and handcuffed.• Bria was taken to the hospital on Feb. 15 after spending the day in her father's care.• A man has been admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds.• Head-injured patients are normally admitted to hospital and kept there until it is certain that they are fully fit to return home.• Back to hospital and you must restrain yourself, old boy, nudge wink.Origin hospital (1200-1300) Old French Medieval Latin hospitale “place to stay at”, from Latin hospitalis “of a guest”, from hospes; → HOST1 