noun
General Slang
old man's friend
OHLD manz FREND · noun · informal
Pneumonia, seen as a gentle end for the very frail
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Definitions
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Traditional epithet for pneumonia, historically regarded as a relatively peaceful cause of death in the very old and frail.
“They kept her comfortable — pneumonia, the old man's friend.”
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old man's friend In A Sentence
They kept her comfortable — pneumonia, the old man's friend.
Origin & Usage
Old clinical saying attributed to William Osler.
Variants
the old man's friend
People Also Ask
Why is pneumonia called 'the old man's friend'?
Because it was historically regarded as a relatively peaceful cause of death for the very old and frail, ending prolonged suffering.
Where does the phrase come from?
It's an old clinical saying commonly attributed to the physician William Osler.
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