paramedic

noun

para·med·ic | \ ˌper-ə-ˈme-dik

, ˌpa-rə-\

variants: or less commonly paramedical \ ˌper-ə-ˈme-di-kəl

, ˌpa-rə- \

Definition of paramedic

1 : a person who works in a health field in an auxiliary capacity to a physician (as by giving injections and taking X-rays)

2 : a specially trained medical technician licensed to provide a wide range of emergency services (such as defibrillation and the intravenous administration of drugs) before or during transportation to a hospital — compare emt

The History of Paramedic Example Sentences Learn More about paramedic

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The History of Paramedic

In ground warfare, wounded troops must usually be transported from the front lines back to field hospitals, and trained paramedical personnel—that is, nondoctors, usually known as medics or corpsmen—were first widely used in such situations. It took many decades for the wartime model to be applied effectively to ordinary peacetime medicine. With advances in medical technology (such as defibrillators, for restarting a heart after a heart attack), paramedics became an essential part of emergency medicine, and today hundreds of thousands of people owe their lives to paramedics. Paraprofessionals who work only in hospitals and clinics usually go by other titles.

Examples of paramedic in a Sentence

She's training to be a paramedic.

Recent Examples on the Web

About 200 EMTs and paramedics could be deployed in the Seattle area by Thursday, if employer American Medical Response (AMR) has its way. — Heidi Groover, The Seattle Times, "As EMT strike looms, Seattle ambulance company brings in out-of-state replacement workers," 20 Dec. 2018 Police officers and paramedics descended on the Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury after a man and a woman became sick on Sunday evening. — Gregory Katz, The Seattle Times, "UK police say no Novichok link to Salisbury mystery illness," 17 Sep. 2018 Police officers and paramedics are also increasingly being trained to administer the drug. — Catherine Ho, SFChronicle.com, "More California pharmacies to distribute opioid overdose drug," 6 July 2018 Officers and paramedics found a man who was wounded and had driven himself from Indian School Road to Camelback Road and 27th Avenue before calling the Phoenix Fire Department for help, Pfohl said. — Nathan J. Fish, azcentral, "Police still searching for assailant in Phoenix double shooting," 16 May 2018 The unit is staffed by four trios of police officers, paramedics and mental health clinicians who provide 24-hour coverage across IMPD's East District. — Ryan Martin, Indianapolis Star, "Instead of jailing those with mental illness, here's what Indianapolis is doing," 26 Mar. 2018 Nearly every exhibition game in Peoria will feature discounts and promotions, with many dates honoring those who serve others, such as teachers, police officers, paramedics and the military. — Joe Mock, USA TODAY, "Ranking Arizona spring training parks: Surprise at the top," 22 Feb. 2018 Officers and paramedics responded to a report of a drowning at 8:50 p.m. on the 1700 block of Morningside Way. — Robert Allen, Detroit Free Press, "Girl, 6, apparently drowns in indoor pool in Bloomfield Twp.," 12 Jan. 2018 Since March, the Renal Council has been paying $3,900 a week for the flights, $6,000 a month for a paramedic to accompany the patients and $2,500 a month to feed them. — Danica Coto, The Seattle Times, "A year after Maria, Puerto Rican kidney patients fear death," 18 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paramedic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near paramedic

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Last Updated

20 May 2019

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Time Traveler for paramedic

The first known use of paramedic was in 1967

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More Definitions for paramedic

paramedic

noun

English Language Learners Definition of paramedic

: a person whose job is to provide emergency medical care to sick or injured people who are being taken to a hospital

See the full definition for paramedic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

paramedic

noun

para·med·ic | \ ˌper-ə-ˈme-dik

Kids Definition of paramedic

: a person specially trained to care for a patient before or during the trip to a hospital

paramedic

noun

para·med·ic | \ ˌpar-ə-ˈmed-ik

variants: also paramedical \ -i-kəl

Medical Definition of paramedic

1 : a person who works in a health field in an auxiliary capacity to a physician (as by giving injections and taking X-rays)

2 : a specially trained medical technician certified to provide a wide range of emergency medical services (as defibrillation and the intravenous administration of drugs) before or during transport to the hospital — compare emt