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.

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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

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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.

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embolism Cultural  

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

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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

The realization that I didn’t have enough of my prescription medications to last three extra days—including blood thinners, which I was taking after a near-fatal pulmonary embolism last year—sent me into a tizzy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Physically spent, Roosevelt died from a pulmonary embolism on Jan. 6, 1919, at the age of 60.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

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

Jacqui died two hours later from an amniotic fluid embolism – a rare and life-threatening emergency.

From BBC

Related Words

• clotting
• clump
• lump