fibrillation
Americannoun
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the formation of fibrils, or fine fibers or filaments.
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Pathology. uncontrolled twitching or quivering of muscle fibers, such as those of the heart.
noun
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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
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irregular twitchings of the muscular wall of the heart, often interfering with the normal rhythmic contractions
Etymology
Origin of fibrillation
First recorded in 1830–40; fibrillate + -ion
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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.
Doctors are changing their referral practices for the Watchman device because there has been a lot of evidence published in recent months about the risk of stroke for people with atrial fibrillation, Mahoney said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Recent analyses based on participant-reported health information found that consuming 1-3 cups of caffeinated coffee per day was not associated with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation or abnormal heart rhythm.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
Caffeine also blocks a substance that can cause atrial fibrillation, an arrhythmia that can lead to strokes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Several can detect car crashes or spikes in heart rate as a result of tachycardia, along with such conditions as atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
When he developed ventricular fibrillation, a heart rhythm abnormality that can be fatal within minutes, the problem was quickly fixed.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
