heart attack

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. damage to an area of heart muscle that is deprived of oxygen, usually due to blockage of a diseased coronary artery, typically accompanied by chest pain radiating down one or both arms, the severity of the attack varying with the extent and location of the damage; myocardial infarction.

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heart attack British  

noun

1. any sudden severe instance of abnormal heart functioning, esp coronary thrombosis

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heart attack Scientific  

1. Necrosis of a region of the heart muscle caused by an interruption in the supply of blood to the heart, usually as a result of occlusion of a coronary artery resulting from coronary artery disease. Symptoms typically include sudden, crushing chest pain, nausea, and sweating. Characteristic changes in the electrocardiogram are used to diagnose heart attacks.

2. Also called myocardial infarction

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heart attack Cultural  

1. An episode of heart failure or the stopping of normal heart function; a coronary thrombosis. Symptoms of a heart attack include pain and pressure in the chest, which often spread to the shoulder, arm, and neck. Today, physicians tend to define heart attack in terms of muscle damage to the heart caused by oxygen deprivation.

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Etymology

Origin of heart attack

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

But the people of Redding nearly had a collective heart attack last August when the restaurant’s longtime owners, sisters Julie Malik and Nell Cox, made a stunning announcement: Damburger is for sale.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

This 10-minute scan helps gauge your risk of a having a heart attack or stroke—and whether you should take cholesterol-lowering medication.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

"To have a situation such as a heart attack does worry me," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Partaking in them is not without risk—ozone therapy, for example, has the potential side effect of something called an air embolism, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

There are ways to tell with absolute certainty whether someone is having a heart attack, but those involve tests of particular enzymes that can take hours for results.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• cardiovascular disease
• congestive heart failure