Accident and emergency means: The department of a hospital that deals with injuries and medical emergencies.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
accident and emergency
(chiefly, British, NZ) The department of a hospital that deals with injuries and medical emergencies.
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(chiefly, British, NZ) The department of a hospital that deals with injuries and medical emergencies.
For parents
Accident and emergency means: The department of a hospital that deals with injuries and medical emergencies.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
accident and emergency means: The department of a hospital that deals with injuries and medical emergencies.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Used in
UK
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "accident and emergency" (A)
accha codedaccha coreaccha energyaccha modeaccha pilledaccha sznaccident blackspotacclaimeracclimateacclimatedaccoladeaccommodat
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Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- A&E85%
(chiefly, UK, Commonwealth) The accident and emergency (casualty) department of a hospital.
- emergency room75%
(North America, Philippines, healthcare) A department of a hospital where seriously ill or injured patients, often with life-threatening conditions that require urgent or immediate treatment, are brought in, usually by ambulance.
- casualty department74%
(British) (also casualty ward) the department of a hospital providing immediate treatment for emergency cases.
- emerg72%
(Canada, slang, medicine) The emergency department of a hospital.
- trauma centre63%
(UK) A specialized section of a hospital intended to treat suddenly occurring life-threatening injuries and medical conditions.