heart attack

American  

noun

Pathology.

• heart attacks
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• heart attacks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of heart attack

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heart attack

United States women's national team player Savannah DeMelo is suing a hospital and two doctors after she suffered a heart attack on the pitch last year.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

She underwent a heart transplant 10 years ago, after having a heart attack aged 31 while watching her son play football.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Over the next decade, 6% of the participants experienced either a heart attack or stroke.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

Researchers from the University of Sydney, the Baird Institute and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney have found that the human heart can produce new muscle cells after a heart attack.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

Hana walks in just then and throws her hand against her chest like she’s having a heart attack.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

Related Words

• cardiovascular disease
• congestive heart failure