Heimlich maneuver
[ hahym-lik ]
noun
an emergency rescue procedure for application to someone choking on a foreign object, in which the rescuer places a fist between the victim's lower ribs or upper abdomen from behind and exerts sudden pressure in the form of thrusts of sufficient force to help eject the object from the windpipe.
Origin of Heimlich maneuver
1An Americanism first recorded in 1970–75; named after H. J. Heimlich (1920–2016), U.S. physician, who devised it
Words Nearby Heimlich maneuver
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use Heimlich maneuver in a sentence
She was voted “most likely to need a Heimlich maneuver if you tell her a joke” when she graduated from law school.
Browse