Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 21st Edition (Thumb Index Version)

The book comes with a trial subscription to Taber's Online. This is my only complaint. Taber's Online does not appear to have received the thorough thought that the printed version did. I found that it was generally unhelpful, but you don't have to pay any extra for it, so I'm not complaining, just commenting. Overall, I would strongly recommend buying the Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary.


Great book for non-medical persons too!   August 24, 2001
D. Feindel (USA/England)
59 out of 62 found this review helpful

Having taken a medical terminology class at the hospital where I work, I quizzed the instructor on a suitable medical dictionary in his opinion that I could use for my daily work needs. He suggested a few including this one. Next day in work, I was about to ask a few of the many people in my department what their preferences were but decided to take a stroll around the cubicles instead. Sure enough, nearly every cubicle I passed, held a copy of this dictionary. After purchasing a copy, I wasn't surprised to see why. The book is very easy to follow and understand so, if you find yourself in need of this subject, I'd definitely recommend Taber's.


Incredible collection   July 8, 2005
Aramaki (GA)
46 out of 48 found this review helpful

Although Stedman's dictionary seems to be the preference for most medical schools, Taber's actually contains a lot more words than Stedman's. To be fair, there isn't much competition when it comes to medical dictionaries, it's either Stedman's or Taber's. Stedman's update is usually 4 to 5 years, but you'll only notice the lack of new words if you're in the research field. Taber's tends to release a new edition every year or two, plus you get more words at a lower price. In terms of the definitions in Taber's, it's written to be just a bit more considerate for the layman. Whereas in Stedman's, you would probably need to be at least a medical student or higher to make the most use of it. Best solution is to get both, at least one of the two definitions will make better sense to you.


A must have for any Nursing student   June 19, 2004
Little Greek
36 out of 37 found this review helpful

I can't tell you how invaluable this book is to me. It is safe to say I would be lost without it. I am in a bridge nursing program (RN-Masters) and have never worked in the medical feild before. Upper division textbooks are usually unhelpful because they contain no glossary at the back of the book. If your books are the same way this book is a necessity!

Definitions are in plain english rather than crazy medical jargon so you rarely have to filp pages to define words in the definition of the original word in question. Even better are the multitude of pictures and diagrams that really solidify your understanding of select terms.

There are some additional niceties specifially for nurses or nursing students. The appendix is filled with useful nursing guides such as:
1. Nutrition and dietary refrence values
2. Herbal medicines and their uses
3. Normal refrence laboratory values
4. Prefixes and suffixes
5. Latin and Greek nomenclature
6. Medical abbreviations
7. Units of measurement
8. Mini English-Spanish-French dictionary inclusive of specific medical phrases that may be used on the job
9. Classification of poisons and poisoning, including pathology, symptoms, and medical treatment
10. Addresses for health care resources and organizations, and nursing organizations
11. NIC and NOC lists
12. Nursing diagnosis
13. Conceptual models and theories of nursing

Those additional resources alone are worth the price of this book. You may be on a tight budget, but this is one book you cannot afford to be without.