You searched for: “moribund
moribund
1. At the point of death or dying.
2. Having lost all sense of purpose or vitality.
3. Becoming obsolescent.

As Dr. Blank concluded his lecture, a woman rushed up to him. "Doctor," she said, "I've wanted to shake your hand and thank you ever since you saved my life two years ago."

"When was that?" asked the doctor politely, taking her hand and trying to remember her face.

"I was in the hospital and they had all given me up," explained the woman. "No one seemed to know what was the matter with me. Then one day you came into my room with some other doctors, took just one look at me and diagnosed my case instantly. I began getting well from that hour, and you can see I'm perfectly all right now."

"That's very interesting," said the doctor, still lost at sea. "I diagnosed your case with one look? What did I say?"

"It's funny, but I can't remember the exact word. It began with an 'm' and was three syllables. I meant to look it up, but I never did."

The doctor thought a moment. "Was it 'moribund'?"

"Yes," cried the woman delightedly. "And I began to improve the moment you said it!"

—Contributed by Agnes Rothery as seen in
The Reader's Digest; June, 1949; page 81.
This entry is located in the following unit: mort-, mor-, mori-, morti- + (page 3)