The Gurney Is Named After a Cab Company
A gurney is a wheeled stretcher. The American word probably comes from a horse-cab patented by J.T. Gurney.
A gurney is a wheeled stretcher used to move patients. The name is American and probably commercial: J.T. Gurney patented a horse-drawn cab in the 1880s, and the wheeled hospital trolley appears to have taken the name. British hospitals say *trolley*, and the American word remains largely unknown there.
- A wheeled stretcher (American). *Wheeled in on a gurney.*
- Trolley — the British equivalent. *A hospital trolley.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | gurney | An empty gurney. |
| Plural | gurneys | Two gurneys. |
| British | trolley | A hospital trolley. |
| Related | stretcher | A folding stretcher. |
| Related | litter | A carried litter. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He was wheeled in on a gurney.American hospital.
- British staff say trolley.Same equipment.
- A stretcher is carried, a gurney wheeled.The practical difference.
Words from surnames
- Gurney — probably from a cab patent holder
- Sandwich — from the Earl of Sandwich
- Mackintosh — from Charles Macintosh, with a K added
- Boycott — from Captain Charles Boycott
- Diesel — from Rudolf Diesel
American English, from the 1930s, probably from the Gurney cab patented in the 1880s. The connection is likely but not certain.
Gurney or trolley?
Gurney is American, trolley British. Both name a wheeled stretcher.
Gurney or stretcher?
A stretcher is carried by hand. A gurney has wheels and usually adjustable height.