Dictionary.com

fibrillation

[ fahy-bruh-ley-shuhn, or, especially for 2, fib-ruh- ]
/ ˌfaɪ brəˈleɪ ʃən, or, especially for 2, ˌfɪb rə- /
Save This Word!

noun
the formation of fibrils.
Pathology. uncontrolled twitching or quivering of muscular fibrils.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of fibrillation

First recorded in 1830–40; fibrillate + -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fibrillation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fibrillation

fibrillation
/ (ˌfaɪbrɪˈleɪʃən, ˌfɪb-) /

noun
a local and uncontrollable twitching of muscle fibres, esp of the heart, not affecting the entire muscle. Atrial fibrillation results in rapid and irregular heart and pulse rate. In ventricular fibrillation, the heart stops beating
irregular twitchings of the muscular wall of the heart, often interfering with the normal rhythmic contractions
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

Scientific definitions for fibrillation

fibrillation
[ fĭb′rə-lāshən ]

A rapid twitching of muscle fibers, as of the heart, that is caused by the abnormal discharge of electrical nerve impulses. Ventricular fibrillation is life-threatening.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK