responautn.
/ˈrɛspənɔːt/, U.S. /ˈrɛspəˌnɔt/, /ˈrɛspəˌnɑt/ British. Medicine. Now chiefly historical.
A person permanently dependent upon a ventilator (artificial respirator) to maintain breathing.
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panel patient1913
mental patient1916
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responaut1964
gomer1972
1964 Sunday Times 12 Jan. 18/5 The story of the ‘responaut’ Ann Armstrong as told by Moira Keenan was an enthralling one.
1979 47th Ann. Rep. Pilgrim Trust 1977 23 The Refresh Trust was formed in 1972..for the purpose of building and equipping a place where a few responauts could safely have a holiday.
1994 Independent (Nexis) 11 Aug. 16 He became one of the longest-lived responauts in Britain, a medical phenomenon.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1964