Heimlich maneuver

American  

[hahym-lik] / ˈhaɪm lɪk /

noun

1. an emergency rescue procedure for application to someone choking on a foreign object, in which the rescuer places a fist between the victim's lower ribs or upper abdomen from behind and exerts sudden pressure in the form of thrusts of sufficient force to help eject the object from the windpipe.

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Etymology

Origin of Heimlich maneuver

An Americanism first recorded in 1970–75; named after H. J. Heimlich (1920–2016), U.S. physician, who devised it

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Heimlich maneuver

Advocates, companies and some politicians argue that the Heimlich maneuver and back blows, another established method of rescuing people from choking, aren’t always enough.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Performing abdominal thrusts or the Heimlich maneuver can force the item out of the body.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024

Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa thanked her Republican colleague Rand Paul of Kentucky on Thursday for performing the Heimlich maneuver on her as she choked during a Senate lunch.

From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2023

Schilken: So I gotta ask about the New York Post’s Page Six story about you saving a friend’s life with the Heimlich maneuver at a restaurant recently.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2023

"Show us how a real champ performs the Heimlich maneuver."

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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