cas ‧ u ‧ al ‧ ty /ˈkæʒuəlti/ BrE AmE noun ( plural casualties )
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: casualitas 'chance, bad luck, loss' , from Late Latin casualis ; ⇨ ↑ casual ]
1 . [countable] someone who is hurt or killed in an accident or war:
Our aim is to reduce road casualties.
civilian casualties (=people who are not soldiers who are injured or killed)
cause/inflict casualties
The rebels have inflicted heavy casualties.
2 . [singular] someone or something that suffers as a result of a particular event or situation
casualty of
The Safer City Project is the latest casualty of financial cutbacks.
3 . [uncountable] ( also Casualty ) British English the part of a hospital that people are taken to when they are hurt in an accident or suddenly become ill SYN Emergency Room American English
in casualty
Jean ended up in casualty last night.
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THESAURUS
■ parts of a hospital
▪ A&E/casualty British English , emergency room/ER American English the part of a hospital where people who are injured or who need urgent treatment are brought:
A&E waiting times have gone down.
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A 33-year-old man was brought to the emergency room in a coma.
▪ operating theatre British English , operating room American English a room in a hospital where operations are done:
Mrs Barnett was in the operating theatre for 11 hours while the transplant was carried out.
▪ intensive care the part of a hospital where people who are very seriously ill or badly injured are cared for:
Mr Dye is in intensive care with head injuries.
▪ unit part of a hospital where a particular kind of treatment is carried out:
the burns unit
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the fertility unit
▪ ward a large room in a hospital where people who need medical treatment stay:
the women's ward
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She works as a nurse on a busy hospital ward.