thoracic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thoracic
1650–60; < Medieval Latin thōrācicus < Greek thōrākikós. See thorac-, -ic
Explanation
Thoracic is a medical word for things pertaining to the thorax area of your body: your chest. You’re likely to see the word thoracic in biology class. The thorax is your chest: the area between your neck and abdomen. Therefore, this area is the thoracic region, and that word can be used for issues dealing with this area. Certain exercises are thoracic because they strengthen your chest muscles. Your pectoral muscles are in the thoracic area. Your heart is the most important part of the thoracic area. If you have thoracic pains, you should see a doctor.
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.
The research team included specialists from multiple fields such as pharmacy, epidemiology, thoracic surgery, and public health.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026
Adam Schoenfeld, a thoracic oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, says that if the results hold up outside of China, it could be a genuine breakthrough.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
His ERA had been over 5.00 in three of the previous four years, so potential suitors must determine whether he is truly a new pitcher after healing from 2023 surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2025
It was almost ordinary, like watching a woman perform thoracic surgery, or change a tire, or drive a car.
From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2024
But even the segmentation genes have to have their masters: How does the second segment of the fly thorax “know” to be a thoracic segment, and not an abdominal segment?
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
