operating-room

The surgeon performs a delicate procedure in the operating-room.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A specialized room in a hospital: "operating-room" refers to a room in a hospital that is specifically designed and equipped for performing surgical procedures. It is a controlled environment that maintains sterility to prevent infections during operations.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The surgeon prepared the patient in the operating-room before the heart surgery. (The doctor readied the person in the hospital room set aside for surgical operations.)
  • Nurses carefully sterilized all instruments in the operating-room to ensure safety. (Medical staff cleaned every tool in the surgery room to avoid contamination.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be in the operating-room": to be present during a surgical procedure.

  • The medical students observed the surgery from a gallery above the operating-room. (The learners watched the operation from a viewing area over the surgery room.)

• "to take someone to the operating-room": to move a patient into the room for surgery.

  • The emergency team quickly took the accident victim to the operating-room. (The urgent care staff transported the injured person to the surgery room for immediate treatment.)

Variants and Related Words

• Operating table (n): a special table on which a patient lies during surgery, often adjustable.

  • The patient was placed on the operating table in the center of the room. (The person was positioned on the surgical table for the procedure.)

• Operating theater (n): an older term for an operating-room, especially one with seating for observers.

  • The teaching hospital had a large operating theater for medical demonstrations. (The educational medical facility had a surgery room with a viewing area.)

Synonyms

• Surgery room: a room where surgical operations are performed.
• Surgical suite: a set of rooms including the operating-room and adjacent preparation areas.

Related Idioms

• "in the operating-room": a phrase used to indicate that a surgical procedure is happening or is imminent.

  • The doctor is in the operating-room right now, so she cannot take your call. (The physician is currently performing surgery and is unavailable.)

• "on the table": an idiomatic expression referring to a patient being prepared for or undergoing surgery in the operating-room.

  • The patient has been on the table for over four hours. (The person has been undergoing surgery in the operating-room for a long time.)