blood pressure


nounPhysiology.
  1. the pressure of the blood against the inner walls of the blood vessels, varying in different parts of the body during different phases of contraction of the heart and under different conditions of health, exertion, etc. Abbreviation: BP

Origin of blood pressure

1
First recorded in 1870–75

Words Nearby blood pressure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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British Dictionary definitions for blood pressure

blood pressure

noun
  1. the pressure exerted by the blood on the inner walls of the arteries, being relative to the elasticity and diameter of the vessels and the force of the heartbeat

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

Scientific definitions for blood pressure

blood pressure

  1. The pressure of the blood in the vessels, especially the arteries, as it circulates through the body. Blood pressure varies with the strength of the heartbeat, the volume of blood being pumped, and the elasticity of the blood vessels. Arterial blood pressure is usually measured by means of a sphygmomanometer and reported in millimeters of mercury as a fraction, with the numerator equal to the blood pressure during systole and the denominator equal to the blood pressure during diastole. See more at hypertension hypotension.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for blood pressure

blood pressure

The pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels, especially the arteries. It is expressed in two figures, said to be one “over” the other: the systolic pressure, which is the pressure when the left ventricle of the heart contracts to push the blood through the body; and the diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when the ventricle relaxes and fills with blood. Blood pressure is affected by the strength of the heartbeat, the volume of blood in the body, the elasticity of the blood vessels, and the age and general health of the person. (See circulatory system.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.