cardiovascular
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of cardiovascular
Explanation
Use the adjective cardiovascular when you're talking about the circulatory system in general or the heart specifically. Cardiovascular exercise gets your blood pumping and is good for your heart. Cardio- means "heart," from the Greek kardia, and vascular refers to blood circulation, from a Latin root meaning "vessels or tubes." So anything cardiovascular is related to the heart muscle and the blood it pumps through arteries, veins, and capillaries. Cardiovascular diseases affect the structure of the heart itself or the vessels that help it move blood through the body. Things like not smoking and regularly moving your body can help you keep your cardiovascular system healthy.
Vocabulary lists containing cardiovascular
Body Language: Cor, Cord, Cardio ("Heart")
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Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Melatonin is often promoted as a safe sleep aid, but researchers say there is limited evidence about its cardiovascular safety when taken for extended periods.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
These tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream and have been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, lung cancer and premature death.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
That’s in addition to other problems: an anticipated “bump” in weight-loss drug sales, from Medicare covering its Wegovy weight-loss drug for cardiovascular patients, is “looking limited.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
The findings could also help explain why diets rich in vegetables are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
It didn’t seem possible that something so simple could’ve had such a profound effect on my cardiovascular system, but my heart never slowed its pace.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
