Definition

Noun: A gurney is a wheeled stretcher, typically made of metal, used for transporting patients in a hospital or medical facility.

Usage

A gurney is used specifically in medical contexts to move a patient who is lying down from one location to another, such as from an ambulance into an emergency room or between hospital departments.

Examples

• The paramedics carefully transferred the injured cyclist from the ground onto a gurney.
• After surgery, the patient was moved from the operating room to the recovery area on a gurney.
• The hospital corridor was wide enough for two gurneys to pass each other.

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in American English. In British English, the equivalent term is often "trolley" or "hospital trolley."
• While traditionally metal, modern gurneys may incorporate other materials like lightweight alloys or plastics.

Variants and Related Words

• Stretcher: A simple portable bed for carrying the sick or injured. A gurney is a specific type of wheeled stretcher.
• Litter: Another term for a stretcher, often used in military or emergency rescue contexts.
• Trolley (chiefly British): The general term for a wheeled table or cart, which includes patient transport beds in medical settings.

Synonyms

• Wheeled stretcher
• Hospital cart
• Patient trolley (BrE)

Antonyms

There are no direct antonyms, as it is a specific object. Contextual opposites might include: - Fixed bed - Stationary table

Noun

1. a metal stretcher with wheels