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.

---

heart attack British  

noun

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

---

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of heart attack

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

"I had a heart attack, one of my lungs had collapsed, my kidneys were failing. My body was just completely shutting down."

From BBC

Shortly before Christmas, Louis Robles had a stroke, then a heart attack, and on Dec. 27, at age 60, he died.

From Los Angeles Times

While local authorities said less than 40 died, NGOs insisted several thousand migrant workers -- many from Nepal -- perished in deplorable conditions in the extreme heat, often from heart attacks.

From Barron's

Salmond had been suing over a botched investigation into harassment complaints made about him before he died of a heart attack in 2024.

From BBC

In the new black and white commercial, Tyson, 59, recalls that his sister Denise suffered from obesity and died of a heart attack at age 25.

From Barron's

Related Words

• cardiovascular disease
• congestive heart failure