embolus

American  

[em-buh-luhs] / ˈɛm bə ləs /

noun

Pathology.

plural

emboli

1. undissolved material carried by the blood and impacted in some part of the vascular system, as thrombi or fragments of thrombi, tissue fragments, clumps of bacteria, protozoan parasites, fat globules, or gas bubbles.

---

embolus British  

/ ˈɛmbələs /

noun

1. material, such as part of a blood clot or an air bubble, that is transported by the blood stream until it becomes lodged within a small vessel and impedes the circulation Compare thrombus

---

Etymology

Origin of embolus

1660–70; < Latin: piston < Greek émbolos stopper, equivalent to em- em- ² + bólos a throw, akin to bállein to throw

Compare meaning

How does embolus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• thrombus vs. embolus

Example Sentences

One of the issues Dr Lee said the panel had found was that skin discoloration noted on some of the babies was, he claimed, wrongly attributed to air embolus by the prosecution.

From BBC

An embolus can occur when amniotic fluid gets into the maternal bloodstream.

From BBC

Continuing his closing speech for a second day, Mr Myers told Manchester Crown Court the "overarching theory of air embolus" was at the "heart" of this case.

From BBC

She told the court that if the cause of death was established as air embolus, then it would have come from the person connecting the fluids, "which wasn't me".

From BBC

"For me air embolus fits with what the medical staff on the ground saw," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• barricade
• closure
• encirclement
• restriction
• roadblock
• siege
• stoppage