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hospice

noun
hos·​pice | \ ˈhä-spÉ™s How to pronounce hospice (audio) \

Definition of hospice

1 : a lodging for travelers, young persons, or the underprivileged especially when maintained by a religious order
2 : a program designed to provide palliative care and emotional support to the terminally ill in a home or homelike setting so that quality of life is maintained and family members may be active participants in care also : a facility that provides such a program
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Examples of hospice in a Sentence

She chose to go to a hospice instead of a hospital. the monks run a hospice for travelers in their mountain retreat

Recent Examples on the Web

 Fortunately, hospice care is available to ease the end-of-life transition for individuals and their families. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Funding Homes for Hospice," 6 Sep. 2019 But when the longtime home nurse quits, Kasie refuses to put her dad in hospice care, turning instead to wayward brother Carey (Teddy Lee) for help. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Justin Chon’s Koreatown-set ‘Ms. Purple’ relies heavily on mood," 4 Sep. 2019 Southwest General offers hospice care to patients in private homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. — cleveland.com, "Berea resident, 81, completes cross-country bike ride to support hospice care at Southwest General," 30 Aug. 2019 She was eventually placed on hospice care and moved in with my grandparents. — Ian Fields, SELF, "My Mother Died of Cervical Cancer. Now I’m an HPV Vaccine Advocate.," 26 Aug. 2019 Roberta Petersen, the influential A&R executive whose ear for the eclectic helped spawn the careers of artists ranging from The Flaming Lips and Jane’s Addiction to Devo and Dire Straits, died early Aug. 15 while under hospice care in Arizona. — Marc Schneider, Billboard, "Roberta Petersen, Longtime Warner Bros. A&R Exec and Key Backer of Flaming Lips & Dire Straits, Dies at 74," 22 Aug. 2019 As John prepared to leave the hospital and return home for hospice care on July 31, he was treated to a surprise send-off from the medical center’s staff, the Albany Police Department and from members of other law enforcement agencies in the area. — Jason Duaine Hahn, PEOPLE.com, "11-Year-Old Boy Dying of Brain Cancer Gets Hero's Send-Off Before Heading Into Hospice," 2 Aug. 2019 More than five years ago, Stauffer's mother, Doris, died in hospice care after suffering from Alzheimer's. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Man suing body donation company after mother's corpse was used for bomb testing," 1 Aug. 2019 Proceeds from the annual event are used by the Strongsville Chamber of Commerce to support community projects, including Pat Catan Stadium, hospice care at Southwest General Health Center and many other smaller initiatives. — cleveland.com, "Strongsville Homecoming Festival brings local community together July 17-20," 11 July 2019

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

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First Known Use of hospice

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for hospice

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French hospise, borrowed from Medieval Latin hospitium "hospitality, lodgings, monastic guesthouse, shelter maintained by a religious order for the poor and infirm," going back to Latin,"accommodation of guests, hired lodgings," from hospit-, hospes "guest, host" + -ium, denominal suffix of function or occupation — more at host entry 3

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More Definitions for hospice

hospice

noun
How to pronounce hospice (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of hospice

: a place that provides care for people who are dying
somewhat old-fashioned : a place where travelers can stay especially : an inn kept by people in a religious organization

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

hospice

noun
hos·​pice | \ ˈhäs-pÉ™s How to pronounce hospice (audio) \

Medical Definition of hospice

: a facility or program designed to provide palliative care and emotional support to the terminally ill in a home or homelike setting so that quality of life is maintained and family members may be active participants in care

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More from Merriam-Webster on hospice

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hospice

Spanish Central: Translation of hospice

Nglish: Translation of hospice for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hospice

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