What does intravenous mean?
Word: Intravenous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Intravenous means going into a vein; used of medicine, food or fluid given through a needle or a thin tube.
Word origin: Formed in the 19th century from Latin intra, 'within', and the Latin word for a vein.
How do you spell intravenous?
Syllables: in - tra - ve - nous
Tricky part: It starts with intra, meaning inside, not inter, meaning between.
Watch out for: intervenous, intrevenous
Memory tip: Intra means inside, as in intranet, a network used only inside one company; the medicine goes inside the vein.
Intravenous in a sentence
Example 1: The nurse set up an intravenous drip because the patient could not drink water.
Example 2: Doctors gave him intravenous antibiotics for five days.
Example 3: Before the operation, a thin intravenous tube was placed in her hand.
Fun Fact
Doctors and nurses often shorten intravenous to IV, so a hospital drip is commonly called an IV drip.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
intra________
a) venious
b) venous
c) veinus
d) veinous
Show answer
b) venous. The vein part loses its i in this word, so the medical spelling is intravenous.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) intravenous : vein
b) dental : teath
c) nasal : nose
d) cardiac : heart
Show answer
b) dental : teath. The plural of tooth is teeth, with a double e.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. intravenous 2. oral 3. topical a. put on the skin b. taken through the mouth c. given by drip, straight into the blood
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a. Intravenous medicine enters a vein, oral medicine is swallowed, and a topical cream goes on the skin.
Word Tally
Each correctly spelt word earns 2 marks. What is the total?
intravenous, stethoscope, anaesthetic, vacinnation, thermometer
a) 8
b) 6
c) 4
d) 10
Show answer
a) 8. Vaccination needs a double c and a single n; the other four are right, giving eight marks.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why might a doctor choose intravenous medicine instead of tablets?
a) it never needs a nurse
b) it tastes much sweeter
c) it can be bought at any shop
d) it reaches the blood faster
Show answer
d) it reaches the blood faster
2. Which of these does a nurse need to set up an intravenous drip?
a) a chart and a pencil
b) a bag of fluid on a stand
c) a bandage and a sling
d) a mask and a gown
Show answer
b) a bag of fluid on a stand
