cardio-

¹

1. a combining form meaning “heart,” used in the formation of compound words.

   cardiogram.

cardio

²

[kahr-dee-oh]

noun

Informal.

1. aerobic exercise that stimulates and strengthens the heart and lungs.

   I mostly use weights, but I always add a little cardio into my routine.

adjective

Informal.

1. of or relating to aerobic exercise.

   The class begins with a slow and steady warmup, and then it switches to a cardio workout.

2. of or relating to the heart; cardiovascular.

   He's a hugely successful cardio surgeon.

cardio-

combining form

1. heart

   cardiogram

Word History and Origins

Origin of cardio-¹

< Greek kardio-, combining form of kardía

Origin of cardio-²

First recorded in 1960–65

Word History and Origins

Origin of cardio-¹

from Greek kardia heart

Example Sentences

I feel like an elephant is using me as a stepstool to get some cardio in.

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He slows quickly, though, as if it’s been millennia since he’s done any cardio.

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"I keep going back and forth to see who wins. I think it depends on how Islam looks at 170lb. If he comes out and heavy wrestles then I probably edge Islam. I feel like we'll know from the first round how the fight will go. JDM does get taken down, but he's great at getting back to his feet. Islam has shown cardio issues. I'm 50/50."

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Benn failed to use his speed and cardio to overwhelm Eubank and will be eager to rectify that.

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Part of the cardio growth story is the Watchman product, a small implant that closes the left atrial appendage of patients with atrial fibrillation, or AF.

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When To Use

What does cardio- mean?

Cardio- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “heart.” It is used in many medical and scientific terms.Cardio- comes from the Greek kardía, meaning “heart.” In fact, the English word heart and the Greek kardía are related. Learn more at our entry for heart.What are variants of cardio-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, cardio- becomes cardi-, as in cardiectomy.