clinic

/ˈklɪnɪk/

/ˈklɪnɪk/

Other forms: clinics

A clinic is a doctor's office, particularly one that specializes in one kind of medicine. After you're diagnosed with a broken leg, you may be referred to an orthopedic clinic.

Sometimes the word clinic is used when a medical office isn't a hospital or a private doctor's office. Some clinics help patients who don't need to be hospitalized, or have been released from a hospital, but still need specialized care. Other kinds of clinics provide dental care or immunizations. Clinic is from the Latin clinicus, "physician that visits patients in their beds," with the Greek root klinike, "at the sickbed."

Definitions of clinic

1. noun

   a medical establishment run by a group of medical specialists
   types:

   eye clinic

   a clinic where specialist care for a patient's eyes

   type of:

   medical institution

   an institution created for the practice of medicine
2. noun

   a healthcare facility for outpatient care
   types:

   dispensary

   clinic where medicine and medical supplies are dispensed

   type of:

   health facility, healthcare facility, medical building

   building where medicine is practiced
3. noun

   meeting for diagnosis of problems and instruction or remedial work in a particular activity
   types:

   reading clinic

   a clinic for people with reading disabilities

   basketball clinic

   a meeting at which basketball players receive special evaluation and instruction

   baseball clinic

   a meeting at which baseball players receive special evaluation and instruction

   hockey clinic

   a meeting at which hockey players receive special evaluation and instruction

   type of:

   session

   a meeting for execution of a group's functions