WordGarden.iogurney
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɡˈɜːni/
US
- /ˈɡɜrni/
Meanings
Noun
a wheeled stretcher used to move patients
Beyond the definition
Imagine a busy emergency room where doctors and nurses are moving fast; often, someone is being wheeled down the hall on a gurney. It is a narrow bed or stretcher on wheels, used to carry people who are sick, hurt, or too weak to walk. You will most often see one in a hospital, an ambulance, or at the scene of an accident.
If someone is "taken away on a gurney," the image usually suggests a serious injury, sudden illness, or urgent medical care. The word is common in American English and often brings to mind emergency rooms and fast, stressful moments.
A gurney is a wheeled stretcher or narrow bed used to move patients from one place to another. It is common in hospitals, emergency rooms, ambulances, and other medical settings. A patient may lie on it after an accident, during a hospital transfer, or while being taken for tests, surgery, or treatment. Many are padded and can be raised, lowered, or adjusted so medical staff can work more easily.
In everyday use, the word often appears in scenes that feel urgent or dramatic. If a person is "strapped to a gurney" or "wheeled away on a gurney," the picture is usually of someone receiving serious medical attention. The word can also be used in a broader way for transport inside a hospital, even when the situation is not life-threatening.
The exact origin of the word is uncertain, though some dictionaries suggest it may be linked to an older kind of wheeled cab. For learners, the main point is simple: a gurney is the rolling stretcher-like bed used to carry patients who cannot walk safely on their own.
Examples
- 1
Emergency transport
After the accident, the paramedics lifted him onto a gurney and rushed him inside.
- 2
Medical exam
She was still lying on the gurney when the doctor came in to examine her.
- 3
Emergency room
The hallway outside the emergency room filled with gurneys after the bus crash.
See also
Similar
- stretcher
- wheeled stretcher
- hospital trolley
Shades of meaning
- ambulance cot
- litter
Contrast
- wheelchair
- hospital bed
Used with (collocations)
- on a gurney
- strap someone to a gurney
- wheel a gurney
- gurney in the emergency room
Explore
- patient transport
- emergency medical services
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- gurneynoun
Forms
- gurneyspluralnoun