intensive care unit

English

Alternative forms

Noun

intensive care unit (plural intensive care units)

  1. A part of a hospital into which critically ill patients, in danger of dying, are admitted and closely monitored.
    Synonyms: ICU (initialism), CCU, ITU

Usage notes

In colloquial usage this term is often elliptically shortened to intensive care; the abbreviation ICU tends to be used by the medical profession.

Translations