Physicals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Things that are tangible or perceptible by the senses, often referring to aspects of the body or material objects
2. items used in the context of fitness or exercise, especially concerning physical training
3. characteristics related to the physical body or health, distinguishing them from mental or emotional aspects

Etymology: "Physicals" is the plural of "physical" used as a noun, meaning a medical examination, as in the checkups required for jobs, sports, or insurance. The noun is clipped from "physical examination." Its root goes back to the Greek "physis," meaning nature or growth, which gave the adjective "physikos," meaning natural or belonging to nature. Through Late Latin "physicus," those Greek roots reached English, where "physical" originally described the natural, material world. The sense of the body and its health, set against the mental or emotional, grew out of that contrast. The same Greek root also produced "physic," an old word for medicine, and from it "physician."

Synonyms: examinations, checkups, inspections, assessments, evaluations