cardiac arrest

American  

noun

Pathology.

cardiac arrests plural

1. abrupt cessation of heartbeat.

---

cardiac arrest British  

noun

1. failure of the pumping action of the heart, resulting in loss of consciousness and absence of pulse and breathing: a medical emergency requiring immediate resuscitative treatment

---

cardiac arrest Cultural  

1. See heart attack.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cardiac arrests
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cardiac arrest

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

The student died of sudden cardiac arrest about three weeks later.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

The global superstar dubbed the King of Pop suffered a fatal cardiac arrest, which was later ruled a homicide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

After seeing his friends get into difficulty, he jumped into the River Great Ouse to help save them, but later suffered a cardiac arrest and drowned.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Pilgrims perform most of the hajj's rites outdoors where more than a million devotees gather in stifling conditions, with many attendees succumbing to heatstroke, fainting spells and even cardiac arrest triggered by the heat.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

"Could you get a nurse? My chest feels very...tight. I think I'm going into cardiac arrest."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda