vital signs
plural noun
1
: signs of life
… frightened even more by the fact that a few months ago you were clinically dead—that's right, dead—all vital signs gone.—Asa Baber
specifically
: the pulse rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and blood pressure of a person
Her vital signs and findings from physical examination were normal, and she was not hospitalized. —John P. Hanrahan et al.
2
: measurable variables considered to indicate the general state or condition of something
The economy's vital signs are stronger than they have been in years. Companies are posting jobs faster than they can find workers to fill them.—Ben Casselman
He proposes that living things act as a single, coordinated entity that maintains the earth's temperature and other vital signs within very narrow limits that are to the entity's own benefit.—Michael Oppenheimer
Note: The singular vital sign is sometimes used for a single sign or measurement.
The box … houses nine removable electronic modules, each of which monitors a specific vital sign, such as temperature, oil pressure, and the rpm of the power turbine and gas producer.—Jay Coyle
Note: The singular form is also often used before another noun.
vital sign monitors
vital sign data
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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