heart attack

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. damage to an area of heart muscle that is deprived of oxygen, usually due to blockage of a diseased coronary artery, typically accompanied by chest pain radiating down one or both arms, the severity of the attack varying with the extent and location of the damage; myocardial infarction.

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heart attack British  

noun

1. any sudden severe instance of abnormal heart functioning, esp coronary thrombosis

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heart attack Scientific  

1. Necrosis of a region of the heart muscle caused by an interruption in the supply of blood to the heart, usually as a result of occlusion of a coronary artery resulting from coronary artery disease. Symptoms typically include sudden, crushing chest pain, nausea, and sweating. Characteristic changes in the electrocardiogram are used to diagnose heart attacks.

2. Also called myocardial infarction

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heart attack Cultural  

1. An episode of heart failure or the stopping of normal heart function; a coronary thrombosis. Symptoms of a heart attack include pain and pressure in the chest, which often spread to the shoulder, arm, and neck. Today, physicians tend to define heart attack in terms of muscle damage to the heart caused by oxygen deprivation.

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Etymology

Origin of heart attack

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

That could make it especially valuable after a heart attack, when injured areas may be difficult to reach directly and time is critical.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

Last month her brother Hamidreza Mohammadi said she had been found unconscious by fellow inmates at Zanjan Prison in north-west Iran, after suffering a suspected heart attack.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

The “Melrose Place” and “Days of Our Lives” veteran suffered a myocardial infarction — a heart attack — according to a death certificate reviewed by People.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

That same night, he died of a heart attack at age 67.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026

But the dog was weak, and highly strung, and suffered a heart attack one bright December morning in the country, leaping from the porch in happy pursuit of a squirrel.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• cardiovascular disease
• congestive heart failure