embolism

[em-buh-liz-uhm]

noun

1. Pathology.,  the occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus.

2. intercalation, as of a day in a year.

3. a period of time intercalated.

4. (in a Eucharistic service) the prayer following the final petitions of the Lord's Prayer.

embolism

/ ˈɛmbəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus

2. botany the blocking of a xylem vessel by an air bubble

3. the insertion of one or more days into a calendar, esp the Jewish calendar; intercalation

4. RC Church a prayer inserted in the canon of the Mass between the Lord's Prayer and the breaking of the bread

5. another name (not in technical use) for embolus

embolism

1. A mass, such as an air bubble, detached blood clot, or foreign body, that travels in the bloodstream, lodges in a blood vessel, and obstructs or occludes it.

2. Also called embolus

3. The obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by such a mass.

embolism

1. An obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an air bubble, a detached blood clot, or a foreign body.

Other Word Forms

• embolismic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of embolism¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin embolismus intercalation < Late Greek embolismós, equivalent to embol- ( embolus ) + -ismos -ism

Word History and Origins

Origin of embolism¹

C14: from Medieval Latin embolismus, from Late Greek embolismos intercalary; see _embolus

Example Sentences

This summer I wrote an article about my experience with a postsurgical pulmonary embolism, hoping that sharing my story would help others take their own medical warning signs seriously.

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This, the prosecution said, caused an air bubble and a blockage in the circulation known as air embolism.

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Ms Chesterton had a blood clot in her left leg, which led to her dying of a pulmonary embolism.

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Lucas contends that two of them shouldn’t be administered together because they cause anxiety and can lead to a pulmonary embolism, which is what Wilson’s autopsy determined was his cause of death.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Matthew Okula said he hopes his efforts help educate expecting mothers and encourage them to discuss the potential complication — amniotic fluid embolism — with their healthcare providers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clotting www.thesaurus.com
• clump 
• lump