adj.1 Med. a of or for the treatment of patients. b taught or learnt at the hospital bedside.
2 dispassionate, coldly detached.
Phrases and idioms:
clinical death death judged by observation of a person's condition. clinical medicine medicine dealing with the observation and treatment of patients. clinical thermometer a thermometer with a small range, for taking a person's temperature.
Derivatives:
clinically adv.
Etymology: L clinicus f. Gk klinikos f. kline bed