convalescence

/kɑnvəˈlɛsɪnts/

/kɒnvəˈlɛsɪnts/

Other forms: convalescences

When someone has been severely hurt or very ill, they must go through a period of convalescence during which they rest and recuperate in order to regain their strength and health. Convalescence varies depending on the severity of the problem.

The Latin convalēscere means "to regain health." The actual period of convalescence is from when you first get sick until your complete recovery. Convalescence for an illness is often accompanied by various medicines, the most effective of which often include TLC and hot chicken soup. Playwright George Bernard Shaw once quipped, "I enjoy convalescence. It is the part that makes the illness worth while."

Definitions of convalescence

1. noun

   gradual healing (through rest) after sickness or injury
   synonyms: recovery, recuperation

   types:

   lysis

   recuperation in which the symptoms of an acute disease gradually subside

   rally

   a marked recovery of strength or spirits during an illness

   type of:

   healing

   the natural process by which the body repairs itself