arrhythmia

[ uh-rith -mee-uh, ey-rith - ]

/ əˈrɪð mi ə, eɪˈrɪð- /

noun Pathology.

any disturbance in the rhythm of the heartbeat.

Nearby words

arrhenius, arrhenius-madsen theory, arrhenoblastoma, arrhenotoky, arrhinia, arrhythmia, arrhythmic, arrhythmogenic, arriaga, arricciato, arriccio

Also arhythmia.

Origin of arrhythmia

1885–90; < New Latin < Greek arrhythmía. See a-⁶, rhythm, -ia

Related forms

arrhyth·mic

[uh-rith -mik, ey-rith -] /əˈrɪð mɪk, eɪˈrɪð-/, ar·rhyth·mi·cal, adjectivear·rhyth·mi·cal·ly, adverb

Can be confused

arrhythmic eurhythmic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for arrhythmic

His shot choices are haphazard and arrhythmic, always cutting against any recognizable beat.
Trailer Park|The Daily Beast Video|October 1, 2009|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for arrhythmic

arrhythmia

/ (əˈrɪðmɪə) /

noun

any variation from the normal rhythm in the heartbeat

Word Origin for arrhythmia

C19: New Latin, from Greek arrhuthmia, from a- 1 + rhuthmos rhythm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for arrhythmic (1 of 2)

arrhythmic

[ ə-rĭð′mĭk ]

adj.

Lacking rhythm or regularity of rhythm.

Medicine definitions for arrhythmic (2 of 2)

arrhythmia

[ ə-rĭð′mē-ə ]

n.

An irregularity in the force or rhythm of the heartbeat.

Science definitions for arrhythmic

arrhythmia

[ ə-rĭð′mē-ə ]

An abnormal rhythm of the heart, often detectable on an electrocardiogram. Electrical impulses in the heart normally originate in the sinoatrial node of the right atrium during diastole and are transmitted through the atrioventricular node to the ventricles, causing the muscle contraction that usually occurs during systole. However, abnormalities of electrical conduction during diastole or systole can result in various alterations of the heartbeat, such as changes in heart rate, skipped or irregular beats, and fibrillation of the heart muscle, which can be life threatening. These electrical disturbances can be caused by metabolic abnormalities, inadequate blood supply (as in coronary artery disease), drug effects, chronic disease, and other factors. Arrhythmias are sometimes treated with the implantation of a pacemaker.