diathermy machine
- noun
- /ˌdaɪəˈθɜrmi məˈʃin/
- Specialized
- Modern physiotherapy clinics often have a diathermy machine for treating soft tissue injuries.
Examples
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The diathermy machine is used to relieve muscle pain.
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The diathermy machine was used during the operation to stop bleeding by coagulating blood vessels.
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Before using the diathermy machine, the technician checked that no metal objects were present on the patient.
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Many physical therapists use a diathermy machine in their practice.
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The physiotherapist used a diathermy machine to relieve my muscle pain.
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After the surgery, the patient was treated with a diathermy machine to promote healing.
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The diathermy machine generated heat that helped soothe the inflammation in her joints.
Synonyms
A medical machine that uses short radio waves to heat parts deep inside the body for treatment
A device that heats deep parts of the body with microwaves for therapy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is fully compositional: 'diathermy' names the therapeutic technique (using high-frequency currents) and 'machine' names a device, so 'diathermy machine' straightforwardly denotes a device that performs diathermy. This literal noun+noun formation follows common compositional patterns and would be understandable to a learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The noun diathermy machine comes from words that mean 'through' and 'heat': dia- means 'through' and thermy means 'heat'. The machine sends electric energy through the body to make deep 'heat', so it is used to help heal and treat injuries.