Meaning & use

vital signs

noun·Academic

The basic measurements of body function, such as pulse, temperature, breathing rate, and blood pressure.

See it in a sentence

The nurse checked the patient's vital signs every hour after the surgery.

Paramedics monitored his vital signs closely during the ambulance ride to the hospital.

A note on using this word

Vital signs is almost always used in the plural, referring collectively to a small set of standard health measurements.

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