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

See Examples For:

contractility

"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 study showed it is not the overall magnitude of these contractility modes but the interplay between them that determines a cell's potential for escape.

From Science Daily ● May 7, 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

Therefore, by increasing preload, you increase the second variable, contractility.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The peculiar characteristic of muscular fibres is contractility, or the power of shortening their substance on the application of stimuli, and again relaxing when the stimulus is withdrawn.

From A Treatise on Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene (Revised Edition) by Calvin Cutter