A medical dictionary is a reference for words used in medicine. Some are used for general purposes and allied health care, while others (the full-text editions) are usually used by medical students, doctors, and health professionals.
Having a medical dictionary helps you know the meaning of medical terminologies that you may have questions about and adds knowledge to what is already known. They come in different volumes, sizes, and purposes. They provide insight on medical conditions, terms related to medicine and medications.
This is important since it helps bridge the gap between medical terminologies and the normal layman’s language. You can relate a medical term with normal understanding even when you have not gone through medical studies.
Information concerning health and medicine is easily accessible for health care providers and service consumers. Over-the-counter prescriptions offered by chemists also rely heavily on medical dictionaries to ensure their services are efficient and effective. Check out the recommended best medical dictionaries here.
Editor’s Choice Best Medical Dictionary
The medical dictionary will help you understand medical terminologies with normal terms that you can relate to easily. Medical professionals help you stay updated with the latest terminologies and medical research information that is being added to the history of medicine every day.
Choosing the medical dictionary can be quite challenging since there are very many types in the market. The purpose of the dictionary is a key factor to consider before purchasing one for personal use.
You do not want to get a dictionary that will confuse you more than help you understand medical terminologies and related material.
Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
Have an easy time getting the meaning of difficult medical terms at the palm of your hand with this Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. The dictionary has been designed to ensure that all the definitions you need are available at the tap of a button.
Access has never been easier than with this dictionary. You can subscribe online every year and enjoy the convenience of medical knowledge anywhere you go. You can also download it and use it on your phone at the tap of a button.
This new version includes more defined terminologies than older versions, which add more knowledge. It has a wide array of audio pronunciations included, and images have been increased than older versions to ensure that you understand better.
Designed at a weight of 3 pounds, you will not have any problem carrying this dictionary around. The dimensions also allow you to fit the dictionary in your backpack without any problem easily. You will definitely find it worth using this dictionary.
Pros
- Ease of use
- Light in weight
- Standard and easily understood English
- Multiple meanings of terms
- It has a wide array of defined terms.
Cons
- The cover is not hard, and if not careful, you can tear it off easily.
Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary, New Edition © 2016
Being a medical student can be tough for anyone, especially with terminologies, since new research is updated daily. Being up to date with new medical terms is not only important but necessary.
You cannot always ask your colleagues in medical school every time you have a hard time with a medical term since it is tiring. Get yourself this amazing Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary, New Edition © 2016, and have the definitions of the term on your fingertips.
Get coding help from this dictionary easily and conveniently. Get the knowledge of medical terms with an easy to understand explained language. Every term has been explained, and different pronunciations are provided to make sure you get it right.
The dictionary has a large entry of different terminologies to ensure that you are conversant with most of the medical terms in use. Its light nature makes it almost unrecognizable when you carry it. It has a hardcover that protects the inner pages from getting torn. It also protects the dictionary from getting its pages wet if you accidentally pour a liquid on it.
Pros
- Pronunciation for each word
- Ease of use
- Hard protective cover
- A large number of defined terms
Cons
- You can easily misplace it with its lightweight.
Mosby’s Medical Dictionary
This amazing dictionary provides a clear guide to the essential language of well-researched medicine and healthcare, providing up-to-date coverage of terms from all major fields of research and medical practices from all over the world.
This dictionary has a reference of medical terms that will help you communicate better and easier with your colleagues in the medical field. You will be able to make sense of the difficult and complex terms you come across in medicine with this dictionary.
You do not have to worry about the medical discipline you are in since this dictionary offers medical terminology definitions across all disciplines. You will get many different terminologies in the dictionary-making it effective and efficient for you.
Since both students and medical professionals usually use the dictionary, it has been designed with photographs, drawings, and support appendices. This helps make it easier to use and understood. You will not be disappointed when you get yourself this dictionary.
Pros
- Has a high number of entries
- Strict alphabetical organization of terms
- Revised and up to date definitions
- Ease of use
- Clear illustrations
- Multiple meaning of terms
Cons
- Heavy
- Very thick
Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary
Going through pre-med or medical school? Are you getting a hard time remembering the meaning of various medical terms? Then worry no more for this Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary has you sorted with all difficult medical terminologies.
This dictionary will make medical school easy to go through and totally enjoyable with highly efficient and researched terms. The dictionary is thoroughly updated to ensure that you are up to date with the medical field’s most recent findings.
You are now sorted when it comes to medical terms but still pronouncing the words is still hard. This will not be a problem anymore with this dictionary since it is designed with audio pronunciation help for all the medical terms included in the dictionary.
The dictionary has multiple entries to cover all disciplines and the wide medical field. Your understanding of medical terminologies will only get better as the dictionary comes with clear illustrations for your use. This not only ensures understanding but also the meanings get to stick in your mind. The dictionary’s information is immense, yet it is small, making it easy to carry anywhere.
Pros
- Latest definitions
- Ease of use
- Audio pronunciations
- Multiple entries
- Small in size
- Alphabetically arranged
Cons
- Not all terms are in the audio pronunciation.
Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (Thumb-indexed Version)
The Medical dictionary provides detailed information on various medical disorders, tests, and treatments. This bridges the gap between basic consumer resources and highly technical professional terminologies.
This Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (Thumb-indexed Version) does not only deal with clinical terminologies but beyond. This makes it more efficient than previous versions and does not confine it to one field of medicine. It includes definitions from various medical disciplines all in one book.
The dictionary has better photographs that are well colored and labeled to enhance your understanding of the terminologies described. This makes it better since anyone, not only medical practitioners, can use it.
It comes with well updated and clear appendices to help in understanding the medical terms described in it. The clarification of facts related to medicine that this dictionary has is so clear and worth going through. Even with another dictionary, this specific type has better explanations, so you can use it for reference where things are not clear.
Pros
- Total clarification
- Includes appendices
- Obvious photographs
- Ease of use
- Multiple entries
- Includes latest references
Cons
- The cover is not as hard as it should be
- Heavy to carry
Stedman’s Medical Dictionary Twenty-Eighth Edition
A medical dictionary has definitions of an amazing number of terminologies in the medical sector, which is the essence of having one. However, this unique dictionary also includes updated material for educators and researchers. This means that its content is spread through more than just one discipline, thus making it unique.
The Stedman’s Medical Dictionary Twenty-Eighth Edition has been well-reviewed to ensure that specialists dealing with health science have not been left out. This is because it has included more than one discipline but all related to medicine.
The dictionary comes with better illustrations and drawings that help you understand the defined terminologies better. The content of this new edition is updated to cover all new research that has been documented.
Clarity and accuracy have been ensured in this new edition to comprehend better the terminologies included. The dictionary has also included various references for comparison and offers an in-depth insight into terminologies that are difficult to understand or need extra explanations.
Pros
- Includes more than one medical field
- Ease of use
- In-depth explanations
- A huge amount of medical terms
- Clear photographs
- Well detailed drawings
Cons
- It might be confusing for a non-medical user.
Dorland’s Pocket Medical Dictionary (Dorland’s Medical Dictionary) 29th Edition
Carry this Dorland’s Pocket Medical Dictionary (Dorland’s Medical Dictionary) 29th Edition everywhere you go. With a great array of amazing features, this dictionary is there to help you understand medical terms as they should and keep you updated.
This dictionary is meant to get medical concepts clear for you to understand them easily with full-color visualizations. Medical terminologies evolve day in day out, and what better way do you need to stay updated than with this amazing dictionary.
Complex information is difficult, but with this medical dictionary, these complex terms become normal words that you can easily pronounce and understand. The definitions used for the dictionary are dependable and easy to read.
The dictionary comes with a speller essential to make sure that you not only understand complex terms but pronounce them as expected. It has different forms of adjectives for each described term to deepen your understanding of the medical material. It is easy and fast to check words that you need to know more about using this dictionary.
Pros
- Has a spelling guide
- Updated
- Alphabetically arranged terms
- Clear photos
- Well described diagrams
Cons
- Some specific research terms are missing.
- You can easily lose it due to its small size.
Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Medical Dictionary
Thinking of buying a medical dictionary? It would be important if you put in mind the following consideration before making the purchase.
Quality of the book
You need to check out the dictionary’s quality so that you can get one that is easy to read and clear. To ensure you get a quality dictionary, buy from reputable brands on the market like those I have covered in the above reviews.
Size
It would help if you got yourself a dictionary that suits your needs anywhere you go. There are huge dictionaries that are not ideal for being carried around and are best used at home or in the library. Small ones are ideal for carrying around anywhere you want.
Purpose
This is another important consideration because different types of dictionaries are designed for various purposes. For instance, if you are a medical student or a professional, there are those designed for your use. However, we have other dictionaries designed for researchers, family use, and specialists.
Material
Medical dictionaries are designed from different materials to make covers and pages. If you want a dictionary that will last for many years, choose one designed with a durable and tough material cover and pages. This will help reduce the chance of the dictionary getting torn easily.
Final Words
Do you really need a medical dictionary? After going through the guide and reviews, you have some solid information about the medical dictionary’s importance.
There are thousands of medical dictionaries on the market today. Choosing the most suitable can be difficult. This is why we dedicate our time to research to provide you with helpful information to assist you when buying one.
If you read the above medical dictionary reviews, selecting the right one will be easy. The detailed reviews cover top medical dictionaries on the market that provide the best definitions and updates available.
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