parenteral

IPA/pəˈren.tə.rəl/
IPA/pəˈren.tɚ.əl/

parenteral — adjective

  • parenteralpositive
  • more parenteralcomparative
  • most parenteralsuperlative

1. used to describe medical treatments or nutrients given directly into a vein or m

1.形容詞C2
釋義

used to describe medical treatments or nutrients given directly into a vein or muscle by injection, so they bypass the stomach and intestines altogether.

例句

Amani needed parenteral nutrition after the surgery left her unable to eat.

collocation: parenteral nutrition

The doctor explained that parenteral drugs enter the body through a needle, not the stomach.

contrasts parenteral with oral route

同義詞
  • intravenous

    narrower — refers specifically to delivery through a vein, while parenteral includes intramuscular, subcutaneous, and other non-oral routes

  • injectable

    less technical and more common in everyday hospital speech; covers most but not all parenteral methods

  • non-oral

    descriptive plain-English synonym that captures the core idea of bypassing the mouth

反義詞
  • enteral

    the direct medical opposite — delivery through the digestive system, such as a feeding tube into the stomach

  • oral

    common antonym; refers to taking something by mouth

文法句型

parenteral + noun (nutrition, administration, drugs, feeding, therapy)

用法筆記

Usually appears before a noun (parenteral nutrition, parenteral administration, parenteral drugs). This is a technical medical term common in hospital and clinical documentation — patients are more likely to hear terms like 'IV' or 'injection' in everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌The patient needs parenteral food through a nasal feeding tube.
✅The patient needs parenteral nutrition through an IV drip.
💡Parenteral bypasses the digestive system completely; a nasal feeding tube delivers food to the stomach (enteral route), not parenteral.
❌Parenteral drugs are taken by mouth with a glass of water.
✅Parenteral drugs are given by injection or IV drip.
💡By definition, parenteral administration does not go through the mouth or digestive system.