extracorporeal

[ ek-struh-kawr-pawr-ee-uhl, -pohr- ]

adjective

1. occurring or situated outside the body, as a heart-lung machine used to oxygenate the blood during surgery.

extracorporeal

/ ˌɛkstrəkɔːˈpɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. outside the body

Other Words From

• extra·cor·pore·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of extracorporeal¹

First recorded in 1860–65; extra- + corporeal

Example Sentences

For patients who can’t breathe well, extracorporeal membrane oxygen machines act as a mechanical set of heart and lungs to pump oxygenated blood through the body, similar to the heart-lung bypass machines surgeons use during heart bypass surgery.

From Time