Plural of convalescent; people who are recovering from illness or injury and gradually regaining their strength.
From the Latin adjective 'convalescens,' which can be used as a noun meaning 'one who is recovering.' The plural follows standard English patterns.
During the 19th century, entire hospitals were devoted exclusively to convalescents—the Victorians understood that recovery was a medical phase as important as the acute illness itself, something modern medicine had to relearn.
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