Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «D»:
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Darwin, Charles
Darwin, Charles: English naturalist (1809-82), considered the father of evolution. Darwin voyaged aboard the Beagle to see the wonders of South America. After his return to England, he proposed a mechanism for evolution -- natural selection.
Darwin noted that successful species produce more offsprin...
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DASH diet
DASH diet: An eating plan designed to lower the blood pressure. DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH "combination diet" has been shown to decrease the blood pressure and so helps prevent and control high blood pressure. The DASH "combination diet" is rich in frui...
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Data
Data: Facts, statistics, and the like. In medicine and the health sciences, people often speak of "the data" erroneously in the singular. "Data" is a plural noun and takes a plural verb, as in "the data are very convincing." It comes from the Latin "datum", meaning "a thing given."
For the Romans
d...
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Date rape
Date rape: Rape of a woman by a man with whom she is
acquainted. The rapist is usually the woman's "date" (escort).
Although there are many possible date rape scenarios, in a common
one, the man tries to weaken the resistance of the female by exerting
undue psychological pressure upon her or by...
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Date, expiration
Date, expiration: The date for a drug estimated for its shelf life with proper storage in sealed containers away from harmful and variable factors like heat and humidity.
The expiration date of a medicine is based on data, called accelerated stability data, from testing by the manufacturer, that sh...
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Daughter
Daughter: 1. A female offspring.
2. A female adopted child.
3. A product of radioactive decay.
4. A cell resulting from cell division....
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David-Stickler syndrome
David-Stickler syndrome: See: Stickler syndrome....
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daw
daw: Abbreviation meaning "dispense as written." One of a number of hallowed abbreviations of terms that have traditionally been used in prescriptions....
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Day sight
Day sight: Night blindness.
Listed in medical dictionaries under "Nyctalopia" from the
Greek "nyct' (night) + "aloas" (obscure or blind) + "opsis"
(vision), the condition involves impaired vision in dim
light and in the dark (but normal sight in bright light),
due to impaired function of speci...
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DBT
DBT: Dialectical behavioral therapy....
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DCIS
DCIS: Ductal carcinoma in situ. A precancerous condition characterized by the clonal proliferation of malignant-looking cells in the lining of a breast duct
without evidence of spread outside the duct to other tissues in the breast or
outside the breast. DCIS is clearly the precursor (forerunner) ...
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DDH (developmental dislocation of the hip)
DDH (developmental dislocation of the hip): The abnormal formation of the hip joint in which the ball at the top of the thighbone (the femoral head) is not stable within the socket (the acetabulum). The ligaments of the hip joint may also be loose and stretched.
The degree of instability or loosen...
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de Lange syndrome
de Lange syndrome: A relatively common birth defect syndrome with multiple malformations and mental retardation of unknown origin.
de Lange syndrome is recognized by the presence of:
Prenatal and postnatal growth retardation;
Delayed development and mental retardation;
Abnormally small head (microc...
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de Musset sign
de Musset sign: Rhythmic nodding or bobbing of the head in synchrony with the heart beat, a sign of aortic insufficiency --incompetence of the aortic valve with aortic regurgitation. The causes include syphilitic aortitis, rheumatic fever, and aortic aneurysm. Named after the French Romantic poet an...
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De Quervain's tenosynovitis
De Quervain's tenosynovitis: De Quervain's tenosynovitis is inflammation of tendons on the side of the wrist at the base of the thumb. These tendons include the extensor pollicis brevis and the abductor pollicis longus tendons. De Quervain's tenosynovitis typically is associated with pain when the t...
