GOMER

GOMER

A GOMER (commonly Gomer or Gomere) is a medical slang term for a patient in a hospital who is demented (and not fully conscious) or bordering on death, hence taking up room unnecessarily in the hospital.Fact|date=April 2008 doctors and nurses may feel that they shouldn't receive medical attention and should just be allowed to die peacefully.

Origins and etymology

"Gomer" stands for Get Out of My Emergency Room, reflecting the annoyance of the doctors. It first appeared in widespread print in the medical novel "The House of God" by Samuel Shem, and was used mostly in the 1980s and 90s. It is still used today, although many medical professionals find it disrespectful and unprofessional.Fact|date=August 2008 In 2004, the television show "Scrubs" used the term in an episode to describe an old demented patient who could only say one word. Also on Scrubs, on the episode My Dumb Luck, the term is used to describe geriatric patients.

External links

* [http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-gom1.htm Gomer] on WorldWideWords
* [http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/samuel-shem/house-of-god.htm "The House of God" book information]

Use in a sentence

"I really do not feel like treating the two Gomers in the E.R."

"Rule One: GOMERS DON'T DIE." (From "The House of God")


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  • Gomer — (גֹּמֶר, Standard Hebrew Gómer, Tiberian Hebrew Gōmer, IPA2| go mer ) is the eldest son of Japheth, and father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. ( Genesis x. 2, 3; I Chronicles i. 5, 6).The… …   Wikipedia

  • GOMER — (Heb. גֹּמֶר), the firstborn son of Japheth; the father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah (Gen. 10:2–3; I Chron. 1:5–6); and the name of a nation (Ezek. 38:6). Gomer is nowadays identified with the Gi mir ra a of the Assyrian sources who are the …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Gomer — m Biblical: name (meaning ‘complete’ in Hebrew) borne by a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah. It was taken up by the Puritans, and is still in occasional use in America, where it has been reinforced by the homophonous English surname Gomer.… …   First names dictionary

  • gomer — (del ár. and. «ḡumári») adj. y n. Gomel. * * * gomer. (Del ár. hisp. ḡumári, y este del ár. ḡumārah, Gomara). adj. Se dice del individuo de la tribu berberisca de Gomara. U. m. c. s. pl. || 2. Perteneciente o relativo a esta tribu …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Gomer — Go mer, n. (Gun.) A conical chamber at the breech of the bore in heavy ordnance, especially in mortars; named after the inventor. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gomer — Go mer, n. A Hebrew measure. See {Homer}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gomer [1] — Gomer, Sohn Japhets, von welchem der phrygisch armenische Stamm um das Schwarze Meer abstammen soll, von denen dann zunächst Askenas, am Nordabhang des Kaukasos, Riphat, nördlich von diesem an den Quellen des Don u. der Wolga u. Thogarma vom… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Gomer [2] — Gomer (Gomor, jüd. Ant.), Maß für trockene Dinge, 10 G. = 1 Epha, etwa 1/2 Metze …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Gomer — Gomer, biblischer Name (Völkertafel: 1. Mos. 10, 2. 3) eines von Japhet abstammenden Volkes, unter dem die Kimmerier in der heutigen Krim zu verstehen sind. Nach andrer Ansicht sind damit die Kappadokier gemeint, die von den Armeniern »Gamir«… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Gomer — Gomer,   im Alten Testament 1) eine Völkerschaft Kleinasiens (1. Mose 10, 2); 2) Name der Frau des Propheten Hosea (Hosea 1, 3) …   Universal-Lexikon

  • GOMER — fil. Iaphet. Gen. c. 10. v. 2. et 3. Caput Gomeritarum prope Syriam, habitantium. An potius Gallorum, qui et ipsi Gomeritae dicti? Ioseph. Antiqq. l. 1. Euseb. Zonaras, Isid. Dupleix. Mem. Gall. l. 1. c. 1. De hoc vide inprimis Bochart. Geogr.… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

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