cardiovascular
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of cardiovascular
Explanation
Use the adjective cardiovascular when you're talking about the circulatory system in general or the heart specifically. Cardiovascular exercise gets your blood pumping and is good for your heart. Cardio- means "heart," from the Greek kardia, and vascular refers to blood circulation, from a Latin root meaning "vessels or tubes." So anything cardiovascular is related to the heart muscle and the blood it pumps through arteries, veins, and capillaries. Cardiovascular diseases affect the structure of the heart itself or the vessels that help it move blood through the body. Things like not smoking and regularly moving your body can help you keep your cardiovascular system healthy.
Vocabulary lists containing cardiovascular
Body Language: Cor, Cord, Cardio ("Heart")
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Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Federal prosecutors charged Jason Finkelstein, a board-certified cardiologist, with an alleged $89 million cardiovascular testing scheme.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
Though this is particularly dangerous for vulnerable people, it can put healthy individuals at risk too, leading to poor sleep, cardiovascular stress and a greater risk for heat exhaustion in subsequent days.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
In Europe, it accounts for nearly half of all cardiovascular deaths.
From Science Daily • Jun. 17, 2026
Medtronic is winning, and its portfolio strength extends well beyond the cardiovascular group.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
It was efficient, one had to admit, but lacked the sense of adventure and cardiovascular exercise that dashing to get a good spot on line had always provided.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
