thoracic medicine
1
4.9
- noun
- /θəˈræsɪk ˈmɛdɪsɪn/
- Specialized
:
medicina torácica
- Doctors in the field of thoracic medicine often work closely with surgeons to manage complex respiratory conditions.
Examples
-
She chose to pursue a career in thoracic medicine because of her passion for helping patients with breathing difficulties.
-
I have an M.D. from Harvard, I am board certified in cardio-thoracic medicine and trauma surgery, I have been awarded citations from seven different medical boards in New England, and I am never, ever sick at sea.
-
The hospital has a specialized department for thoracic medicine that focuses on treating patients with lung diseases.
How Specialized
- Specialized
1
4.9
- Specialized
10
3.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'thoracic' (connected to the chest) with 'medicine' (the medical field), yielding the predictable sense 'medical specialty dealing with the chest/respiratory system'. The ADJ + medicine construction is a transparent, compositional pattern (e.g., 'cardiac medicine', 'pediatric medicine') and would be understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Thoracic medicine comes from the old word thoracic meaning 'chest' and medicine meaning care for health, so it literally means care for the chest. That's why the term refers to doctors who diagnose and treat chest and breathing problems, like lung disease.