vitals
vitals Lexical Profile
vitals Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person's vital signs, such as body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure, measured to assess basic bodily functions.
"The triage nurse checked the patient's vitals before the doctor arrived for the examination."
The bodily organs that are essential for maintaining life, such as the heart, lungs, liver, and brain.
"Thick layers of blubber help insulate the seal's vitals against the freezing Arctic water."
The essential parts, facts, or elements required for the existence, operation, or success of something.
"During the introductory seminar, the instructor covered the vitals of contract law."
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the adjective 'vital', which entered Middle English via Old French from the Latin 'vitalis' ('of or belonging to life'), rooted in 'vita' ('life'). Its plural noun usage referring to the body's essential organs dates back to the 14th century, while the clinical shortening of 'vital signs' emerged in the 20th century.