GI
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Gastrointestinal |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Medical, Military, Geography & Places, Units & Measurements |
| Also written | gi |
GI has five meanings. The most common are Gastrointestinal (gastroenterology) and Government issue (military term); it can also stand for Gastroenterology, Gibraltar and Gill.
Meanings of GI at a glance
| # | GI stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gastrointestinal | Medical › Gastroenterology |
| 2 | Government issue | Military › Military Term |
| 3 | Gastroenterology | Medical › Medical Specialty |
| 4 | Gibraltar | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 5 | Gill | Units & Measurements › US Customary and Imperial Unit |
1. Gastrointestinal
Medical · Gastroenterology Abbreviations
Relating to the digestive tract from mouth to anus, and by extension the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. As a noun, GI also names the specialty of gastroenterology or the consulting service in a hospital, as in "GI is coming to scope him".
Example: GI consulted for melena and hemoglobin drop from 11 to 7.8; holding anticoagulation.
Pronounced as letters. Common compounds include GI bleed, upper GI series and GI cocktail, an antacid and viscous lidocaine mixture given for dyspepsia in emergency departments. Outside medicine GI is best known as slang for a US soldier, from "government issue", and in nutrition it stands for glycemic index.
2. Government issue
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Nickname for a US soldier, especially in World War II, derived from the "GI" stamped on government equipment. As an adjective it also describes anything issued by or typical of the military.
Example: The museum exhibit shows how GIs lived in the foxholes of the Ardennes.
The initials first stood for "galvanized iron" on trash cans and buckets before being reinterpreted as "government issue." The term gave rise to the GI Bill and the action figure G.I. Joe. In medicine, GI means gastrointestinal, a far more common modern use.
3. Gastroenterology
Medical · Medical Specialty Abbreviations
Internal medicine subspecialty devoted to the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder and pancreas, and to endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopy, upper endoscopy and ERCP. US gastroenterologists complete a three-year internal medicine residency followed by a three-year fellowship.
Example: Melena with a 2-point Hgb drop overnight; GI plans EGD within 24 hours.
In hospital speech "call GI" means paging the gastroenterology consult team. Hepatology, the study of the liver, is a further focus with its own transplant hepatology certification. Pediatric gastroenterology is a separate fellowship after pediatrics. As an adjective, GI means gastrointestinal.
4. Gibraltar
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
British Overseas Territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, a 6.7 square kilometre peninsula dominated by the Rock. Spain maintains a claim to Gibraltar.
Example: Online betting companies licensed in GI list Gibraltar as their registered office.
Gibraltar is a center for online gambling and finance. Its Barbary macaques are the only wild monkeys in Europe. The alpha-3 code is GIB.
5. Gill (gi)
Units & Measurements · US Customary and Imperial Unit Abbreviations
An old measure of liquid volume equal to a quarter of a pint: 4 US fluid ounces (about 118 mL) or 5 imperial fluid ounces (about 142 mL). It survives in some historic recipes, in British spirits measures and in the vocabulary of distillers.
Example: The 19th-century punch recipe calls for 1 gi of brandy to every pint of hot water.
Pronounced "jill", unlike the gill of a fish. British pubs served spirits in fractions of a gill (a sixth, fifth or quarter) until metric 25 mL and 35 mL measures became mandatory in 1995. In northern England, a gill could informally mean half a pint of beer.
Related abbreviations
More gastroenterology abbreviations
- GAVE – Gastric antral vascular ectasia
- GEJ – Gastroesophageal junction
- GERD – Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- GES – Gastric emptying study
- GIB – Gastrointestinal bleeding
- GIST – Gastrointestinal stromal tumor
- GORD – Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
- GU – Gastric ulcer
See all 85 gastroenterology abbreviations →
More military term abbreviations
- FRG – Family Readiness Group
- FSA – Family Separation Allowance
- FUBAR – F***ed up beyond all recognition
- GEOINT – Geospatial intelligence
- GO – General officer
- GQ – General quarters
- GWOT – Global War on Terrorism
- HADR – Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
See all 248 military term abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.