cardiac arrest

American  

noun

Pathology.

cardiac arrests plural

1. abrupt cessation of heartbeat.

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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

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cardiac arrest Cultural  

1. See heart attack.

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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

He went into cardiac arrest while at the hospital and required three rounds of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 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

A cardiac arrest is an emergency that usually happens without warning.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

I experienced cardiac arrest in the Hall of Mirrors.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell