Meanings
plural hospices
- countabledatedA lodging for pilgrims or the destitute, normally provided by a monastic order.
At the west end of the street is the ruined 13th-century hospice, known locally as Pilgrims' Rest. It was built by Bishop Beck for the use of travellers, and was used as place of rest by pilgrims on their way from Bardsey Island to St David's Cathedral.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 261, about Llawhaden - uncountableThe provision of palliative care for terminally ill patients, either at a specialized facility or at a residence, and support for the family, typically refraining from taking extraordinary measures to prolong life.
Thus, the introduction of hospice services marked a new beginning, not only for the care of the dying, but also for the practice of medicine as a whole.
2007, Iraida V. Carrion, End of Life Issues among Hispanics/Latinos, page 523 more examples
The modern concept of hospice and palliative nursing has its roots in the hospice movement. Introduced to the United States in the early 1960s, hospice has grown from one organization in 1971 to more than 3500 organizations in 2001.
2002, Statement on the Scope and Standards of Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant Practice, Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association, page 2With the emergence of the modern hospice movement and its institutionalization in the 1970s, however, the religious dimension of hospice moved considerably away from its Christian roots. While it is widely agreed that hospice ought to be concerned with the spiritual needs of the dying, how to do this in a pluralistic society is far from clear.
2013, Kathleen Garces-Foley, “Chapter 1: Hospice and the Politics of Spirituality”, in Paul Bramadat, Harold Coward, Kelli I. Stajduhar, editors, Spirituality in Hospice Palliative Care, page 13Former President Jimmy Carter, who at 98 is the longest living president in American history, has decided to forgo further medical treatment and will enter hospice care at his home in Georgia, the Carter Center announced on Saturday.
2023 February 18, Peter Baker, “Jimmy Carter, 98, Opts for Hospice Care”, in The New York Times, →ISSN - countableA specialized facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill.
Medicare reimbursement of hospice care is likely to be affected by the apparent reluctance of hospices to participate in the Medicare program.
2001, Robert J. Buchanan, James D. Minor, Legal Aspects of Health Care Reimbursement, page 972 more examples
A small number of hospices were opened in the US in the 1890s, but these institutions differed from the hospices that came into being in the second part of the twentieth century in the following ways.
2009, Andrea Fontana, Jennifer Reid Keene, Death and Dying in America, page 36St Joseph's Hospice Association in Liverpool supports hospices in Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Peru, as well as having links with hospices in India, Pakistan and Mexico that bear the same name.
2009, June L. Leishman, “Chapter 6: Developments in end-of-life care”, in June Leishman, editor, Perspectives on Death and Dying, page 87
Origin
- Latinhospitium“hospitality, an inn”
- Old Frenchhospise
- Frenchhospice
- Englishhospice
Borrowed from French hospice, from Old French hospise, from Latin hospitium (“hospitality, an inn”). Doublet of hospitium.
More words from French, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans hospies, hospitium
- hospiesprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- hospitiumprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- hospiesa facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
- hospitiuma facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Bulgarian хоспис, хоспис
- хоспис (hospis)provision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- хоспис (hospis)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Catalan hospici, casa de beneficència
- hospicia facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
- casa de beneficènciaa facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Chinese Mandarin 臨終關懷 /临终关怀, 安養院 /安养院
- 臨終關懷 /临终关怀 (línzhōng guānhuái)provision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- 安養院 /安养院 (ānyǎngyuàn)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Dutch hospice
- hospicea facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Finnish saattohoito, saattokoti
- saattohoitoprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- saattokotia facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
French hospice, hospice
- hospiceprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- hospicea facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
German Hospizdienst, Hospiz
- Hospizdienstprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- Hospiza facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Greek άσυλο ανιάτων
- άσυλο ανιάτων (ásylo aniáton)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Hebrew הוספיס, מרכז לטיפול תומך
- הוספיס (hóspis)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
- מרכז לטיפול תומך (merkáz letipúl tomékh)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Indonesian hospis
- hospisprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
Irish ospís, ospís
- ospísprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- ospísa facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Italian ospizio, casa di cura
- ospizioprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- casa di curaprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- ospizioa facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
- casa di curaa facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Japanese ホスピス
- ホスピス (hosupisu)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Korean 호스피스
- 호스피스 (hoseupiseu)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Malay hospis
- hospisprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
Persian خستهخانه
- خستهخانه (xaste-xâne)provision of palliative care for the terminally ill
Polish hospicjum
- hospicjuma facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Portuguese cuidados paliativos
- cuidados paliativosprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
Russian хо́спис
- хо́спис (xóspis)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Spanish hospicio
- hospicioa facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Swedish hospis, hospice
- hospisa facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
- hospicea facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Thai สถานดูแลระยะสุดท้าย
- สถานดูแลระยะสุดท้าย (sàtăan doolae ráyá sùttáai)a facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Welsh hosbis, hosbis
- hosbisprovision of palliative care for the terminally ill
- hosbisa facility or organization offering palliative care for the terminally ill
Cite this entry
hospice. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hospice
“hospice.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hospice. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hospice,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hospice.
Source: hospice on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.