Ananya Vinay, a 12 year old from Fresno, Calif., clinched the championship at the 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday night after correctly spelling the word "marocain," meaning a dress fabric that is made of ribbed crepe, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Ms. Vinay was one of 291 spellers to participate in the competition. She spelled 35 words correctly, defeating Rohan Rajeev, her last standing competitor. Mr. Rajeev misspelled the Scandinavian-derived word, "marram," which means beach grass.
"I knew them all," Ms. Vinay said, after winning the trophy. She will take home more than $40,000 in cash and prizes, according to the report.
Spelling bee competitors are familiar with obscure, difficult words — and healthcare professionals are, too. Here are all of the medical, science or health-related terms that spelling bee winners aced in the final round since 1925.
Torsion
Year: 1933
Champ: Alma Roach, 12
Definition: The twisting of a bodily organ or part on its own axis
Use in sentence: "A torsion fracture, or spiral fracture, can occur in young children when they fall short on an extended leg while jumping."
Deteriorating
Year: 1934
Champ: Sarah Wilson, 12
Definition: The act of quality, functioning or condition becoming impaired
Use in a sentence: "The rigorous and intensive study required of many medical students may play a role in their deteriorating vision."
Interning
Year: 1936
Champ: Jean Trowbridge, 13
Definition: To serve as physician gaining supervised practical experience in a hospital after graduating from medical school
Use in a sentence: "After medical school, he spent three years interning at the university hospital."
Sanitarium
Year: 1938
Champ: Marian Richardson, 12
Definition: A facility that provides therapy combined with a regimen, such as diet and exercise, for treatment or rehabilitation
Use in a sentence: "Sanitariums are most commonly associated wit the treatment of tuberculosis in the late 19th and twentieth century before the discovery of antibiotics."
Therapy
Year: 1940
Champ: Laurel Kuykendall, 14
Definition: Remedial treatment of bodily, mental, or behavioral disorder
Use in a sentence: "The patient benefited greatly from therapy after her car accident."
Psychiatry
Year: 1948
Champ: Jean Chappelear, 14
Definition: Branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders
Use in a sentence: "Patients with a variety of mental health or behavioral disorders can benefit from psychiatry."
Eczema
Year: 1965
Champ: Michael Kerpan, Jr., 12
Definition: An inflammatory condition of the skin characterized by redness, itching and oozing vesicular lesions which become scaly, crusted or hardened
Use in a sentence: "The child went to the nurse's office because his eczema was itchy."
Incisor
Year: 1975
Champ: Hugh Tosteson, 14
Definition: Any of the eight cutting human teeth located between the canines, with four in the lower and four in the upper jaw
Use in a sentence: "The dentist filled a cavity in one of her incisors."
Narcolepsy
Year: 1976
Champ: Tim Kneale, 13
Definition: A condition characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep, often occurring with cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations
Use in a sentence: "The patient participated in a sleep study, from which physicians determined he had narcolepsy."
Psoriasis
Year: 1982
Champ: Molly Dieveney, 12
Definition: A chronic skin disease characterized by circumscribed red patches covered with white scales
Use in a sentence: "It is a common misconception that psoriasis is a contagious condition, but it's not."
Odontalgia
Year: 1986
Champ: Jon Pennington, 14
Definition: Toothache
Use in a sentence: "The patient came to the emergency room in the middle of the night because of severe odontalgia."
Staphylococci
Year: 1987
Champ: Stephanie Petit, 13
Definition: A genus of nonmotile gram-positive spherical bacteria placed in either of two families (Staphylococcaceae or Micrococcaceae) that contains forms occurring singly, in pairs or tetrads, or in irregular clusters, and includes causative agents of various diseases and disorders (as food poisoning, skin infections, and endocarditis)
Use in a sentence: "The cultures revealed the presence of Staphylococci."
Antipyretic
Year: 1991
Champ: Joanne Lagatta, 13
Definition: Preventing, removing or allaying fever
Use in a sentence: "The physician prescribed an antipyretic to lower his fever."
Xanthosis
Year: 1995
Champ: Justin Tyler Carroll, 14
Definition: Yellow discoloration of the skin from abnormal causes
Use in a sentence: "The ER physician admitted the patient after she showed signs of xanthosis."
Succedaneum
Year: 2001
Champ: Sean Conley, 13
Definition: An edematous swelling formed under the presenting part of the scalp of a newborn infant as a result of trauma sustained during delivery
Use in a sentence: "The baby's was swollen for a few days after he was born due to capita succedaneum."
Serrefine
Year: 2007
Champ: Evan M. O'Dorney, 13
Definition: Small forceps for clamping a blood vessel
Use in a sentence: "The surgeon asked for the serrefine during the procedure to stop blood flow."
Stromuhr
Year: 2010
Champ: Anamika Veeramani, 14
Definition: A rheometer designed to measure the amount and speed of blood flow through an artery
Use in a sentence: "The stromuhr is not functioning properly since it shows zero blood is still travelling through the artery."