contractility

American  

[kon-trak-til-i-tee] / ˌkɒn trækˈtɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. the property, as of muscle or other tissue, of being able to contract, or draw itself together, reducing its dimensions.

   Improvements in the contractility of the heart can be measured by a number of different methods to determine how much blood the heart pumps with each beat.

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Etymology

Origin of contractility

First recorded in 1710–20; contractil(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

"Even partial restoration of the connection between the right vagus nerve and the heart is sufficient to counteract the mechanisms of remodelling and preserve effective cardiac contractility," adds Anar Dushpanova, cardiologist at TrancriLab.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

The scientists also tested the effects of inhibiting contractility and cell adhesion and analysed the mechanical signature of embryonic cells with defective contractility.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

From the American Journal of Therapeutics: It “exerts no effect on the coronary flow, contractility, blood pressure, or heart rate. It has no significant negative inotropic or vasodilatory properties at rest or during exercise.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2022

The three primary factors to consider are preload, or the stretch on the ventricles prior to contraction; the contractility, or the force or strength of the contraction itself;

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

And finally the sensibility and the muscular contractility were diminished.

From New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers by Anshutz, Edward Pollock