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embolism

American  
[em-buh-liz-uhm] / ˈɛm bəˌlɪz əm /

noun

  1. Pathology. the occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus.

  2. intercalation, as of a day in a year.

  3. a period of time intercalated.

  4. (in a Eucharistic service) the prayer following the final petitions of the Lord's Prayer.

embolism British  
/ ˈɛmbəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. the occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus

  2. botany the blocking of a xylem vessel by an air bubble

  3. the insertion of one or more days into a calendar, esp the Jewish calendar; intercalation

  4. RC Church a prayer inserted in the canon of the Mass between the Lord's Prayer and the breaking of the bread

  5. another name (not in technical use) for embolus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
embolism Scientific  
/ ĕm′bə-lĭz′əm /

  1. A mass, such as an air bubble, detached blood clot, or foreign body, that travels in the bloodstream, lodges in a blood vessel, and obstructs or occludes it.

  2. Also called embolus

  3. The obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by such a mass.

embolism Cultural  

  1. An obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an air bubble, a detached blood clot, or a foreign body.

Other Word Forms

  • embolismic adjective

Etymology

Origin of embolism

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin embolismus intercalation < Late Greek embolismós, equivalent to embol- ( embolus ) + -ismos -ism

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.

Partaking in them is not without risk—ozone therapy, for example, has the potential side effect of something called an air embolism, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Penumbra’s portfolio includes devices to treat conditions like pulmonary embolism, stroke, deep vein aneurysms, and heart attack.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

It halted a Phase 3 clinical trial last year testing the effectiveness of the experimental drug for stroke and systemic embolism prevention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

The agency warns that the procedure is not FDA approved and can lead to long-term negative affects, such as pain, infections, scarring and, in some cases, embolism and death.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2025

If anything, he says it was the amniotic embolism that did it.

From "Sunny" by Jason Reynolds

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.