hos·pi·tal (hŏspĭ-tl, -pĭt′l)
a. A facility that provides emergency, inpatient, and usually outpatient medical care for sick or injured people.
b. A facility that provides veterinary care for sick or injured animals.
2. Chiefly British A charitable institution, such as an orphanage or a home for the elderly.
3. A repair shop for specified items: a doll hospital.
4. Archaic A hospice for travelers or pilgrims.
[Middle English, hospice, from Old French ospital, from Medieval Latin hospitāle, from neuter of Latin hospitālis, of a guest, from hospes, hospit-, guest; see ghos-ti- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
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Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
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