Medical Dictionary: Glossary (W)

What is wheezing?

A whistling noise that is produced in the chest during breathing. Wheezing occurs when the airways are narrowed or compressed as in asthma.

What is WBC?

Also called leukocytes , these are the blood cells that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders.

What is welt?

red bump, ridge or swelling of unbroken skin raised by a stinging blow or by an allergic reaction to foods, drugs or insect bites, as in hives(urticaria).

What is wrist?

The part of the hand that is nearest the forearm and consists of the carpal bones and the associated soft tissues.

What is womb?

The womb (uterus) is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman’s lower abdomen between the bladder and the rectum.

What is whiplash injury?

A hyperextension and flexion injury to the neck, often a result of being struck from behind, as by a fast-moving vehicle in a car accident.

What is wasting?

Gradual loss of weight , deterioration, emaciation. As in a wasting disease.