cardio

¹ American  

[kahr-dee-oh] / ˈkɑr di oʊ /

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.

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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- ² American  

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

   cardiogram.

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cardio- British  

combining form

1. heart

   cardiogram

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of cardio¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Origin of cardio-¹

< Greek kardio-, combining form of kardía

Example Sentences

“But I think the way he stayed with it, the way he hit a three in the third quarter, that’s Kevin. He’s not going to run from those type of shots, and I thought he battled on both ends. His cardio has to get back to the level where he wants it. Once he gets that, you’ll see the Kevin that we all know.”

From Washington Post

“I think his cardio has got to get back to the level he wants it. Once he gets that, we’ll see the Kevin that we all know.”

From Washington Times

The Ness, a trampoline and cardio boutique fitness space on the edge of Tribeca and Chinatown in New York, opened in 2019 as referral-only.

From New York Times

Graterol didn’t think his weight was an issue, but modifications to his winter training regimen — he worked out three times a day most days, with more stretching and cardio — and his diet helped him trim down from 285 pounds to 262.

From Los Angeles Times

Marc Penn, medical director for Quest’s Cardio Metabolic Endocrine Franchise, says the company decided to offer ceramide tests because they are essentially three tests in one.

From Science Magazine