Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary by Merriam Webster (2006, Paperback, New)

I bought this book because my Dorland's (30th edition) needed to be supplemented. Dorland's is great....but it does not tell you if the word is a noun or an adjective. (I am not studying to be a doctor; I am studying to become a medical transcriptionist!)

I specifically bought this book because I have found many words dictated by doctors that were not in Dorland's but were in this book.

For example, the norm/o- combining form is not at all well documented in Dorland's. Merriam-Webster's entries for norm/o- words include:

normoactive
normoblast, normoblastic
normocalcemia, normocalcemic
normochromia
normochromic
normochromic anemia
normocyte
normocytic
normocytic anemia
normoglycemia, normoglycemic
normokalemic
normotension
normotensive
normothermia, normothermic
normotonic
normovolemia, normovolemic

I saw this book in Barnes & Noble and thumbed through it. When I saw how many words that it had in it that Dorland's did not, I bought this book (full price)for my medical transcription studies.

I find it to be better for the transcriptionists than Dorland's because it does give the parts of speech. Many times the transcriptionist has to decide which form of a word to use. This book makes that VERY easy!

This book won't replace Dorland's or Stedman's but it definitely supplements those books very nicely.

This book is also available in electronic format. I purchased that also and have not been disappointed. The electronic dictionary has the same information and includes audible pronunciations, videos, graphs, and other supportive information.

Hard copy or electronic copy--you won't go wrong with this Medical Desk Dictionary.