Definition

An objective indication of disease that the physician observes or measures—the evidence that proves the patient isn't imagining it.

Example Usage

Edema was a clear sign of heart failure.

Origin

Latin: signum (mark, token)

Fun Fact

Classic physical exam signs like Kernig's sign (meningitis) and Murphy's sign (cholecystitis) are named after physicians who described them.

Source: Physical examination standards

Related Terms

Beginner

rupture

A dramatic break or tear—whether it's in your muscle (ouch), in diplomacy (awkward), or in a relationship (tragic). When something that should stay together suddenly decides it doesn't want to, that's a rupture.

🏥 Healthcare / Medical
Advanced

empiric therapy

Educated guessing about which antibiotic to use before lab results come back, based on what usually causes that kind of infection. Medicine's version of 'spray and pray,' but with more science and less recklessness.

🏥 Healthcare / Medical
Beginner

respirator

A protective or life-saving device that enables breathing when normal respiration is impossible—whether due to toxic fumes, mechanical failure, or a global pandemic. The mask that separates the living from the formerly living.

🏥 Healthcare / Medical
Intermediate

abortion

The medical termination of a pregnancy, either occurring naturally (miscarriage) or through deliberate intervention. In healthcare settings, it's a clinical procedure; in political discourse, it's the topic that instantly divides any room into armed camps. Medical professionals use the term with precision; everyone else uses it as a litmus test.

🏥 Healthcare / Medical
Intermediate

incidence

The number of new cases of a disease occurring in a population during a specific time period—epidemiology's way of tracking whether we should panic or just be mildly concerned. Not to be confused with prevalence, which epidemiologists will correct you about smugly.

🏥 Healthcare / Medical
Beginner

pathogen

Any microorganism that causes disease—bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that decided being peaceful neighbors was boring. The microscopic villains of human health that keep infectious disease specialists employed.

🏥 Healthcare / Medical

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mmo

Massive Multiplayer Online...