medicare
UK[ˈmɛdɪkɛː]US[ˈmɛdɪˌkɛr]
n
A U.S. government program that provides health insurance for people aged 65 and older, and for some younger people with disabilities.
n
(informal, by extension) Any system or program of government-funded medical care.
Morpheme Breakdown
medic
care
medic
medical
care
Etymology
The word 'Medicare' is a modern American English compound, created in the 1960s to name a specific national health insurance program. Its first element, 'medic', traces back to the Latin medicus (physician, healing), derived from the verb medēri (to heal), which itself has Proto-Indo-European roots suggesting measure and remedy. The second element, 'care', originates from Old English caru, related to grief and concern, evolving to mean the provision of protective attention. The compound's logic is transparent: it literally denotes "medical care," with the program's name capitalizing on the reassuring connotations of both roots to signify a system providing healing and protective attention for a vulnerable population.
Analysis
Structure: medic (medical) + care
- medic: From Latin medicus (physician, healing), via Middle English. Functions as the core root specifying the domain of medicine.
- care: From Old English caru (sorrow, anxiety, charge). Functions as the head noun, indicating the provision of attention, protection, or services.
Examples
My grandmother's prescription costs are covered by Medicare.
The debate often centers on the long-term funding of Medicare and Social Security.
Some politicians have proposed expanding Medicare to cover dental and vision care.