ventricle

American  

[ven-tri-kuhl] / ˈvɛn trɪ kəl /

noun

• ventricles
  plural

1. Zoology. any of various hollow organs or parts in an animal body.

2. Anatomy.

   1. either of the two lower chambers on each side of the heart that receive blood from the atria and in turn force it into the arteries.

   2. one of a series of connecting cavities of the brain.

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ventricle British  

/ ˈvɛntrɪkəl /

noun

1. a chamber of the heart, having thick muscular walls, that receives blood from the atrium and pumps it to the arteries

2. any one of the four main cavities of the vertebrate brain, which contain cerebrospinal fluid

3. any of various other small cavities in the body

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ventricle Scientific  

/ vĕn′trĭ-kəl /

1. A chamber of the heart that receives blood from one or more atria and pumps it by muscular contraction into the arteries. Mammals, birds, and reptiles have two ventricles; amphibians and fish have one.

2. Any of four fluid-filled cavities in the brain of vertebrate animals. The ventricles are filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ventricles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ventricle

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin ventriculus belly, ventricle. See venter, -i-, -cle ¹

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Explanation

A ventricle is one of the chambers of the heart. It pumps blood to your arteries. Ventricles are very important, because they are part of your heart. The ventricles are large cavities—or chambers—and there are two of them. The ventricles receive blood from your atriums. Then that blood is pumped through your arteries to the rest of your body. Since your body needs that blood to function and survive, your ventricles have a crucial job. Any problem with your ventricles could lead to serious health problems.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ventricle ventricles

The researchers discovered that some of the brain cells most sensitive to aging were concentrated around the third ventricle, a fluid-filled cavity in the hypothalamus.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Ivy has single ventricle circulation, a life-limiting heart condition, which means only one side of her heart is working.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025

Diastolic heart failure, also known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, is a condition in which the heart's left ventricle grows stiff and can no longer pump blood properly.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024

Harry Vanderspeigle has a big room in my heart, like my left ventricle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2024

First I pump the blood to the lungs to pick up the oxygen then to the left atrium and ventricle then to the aorta to go all around his body like it should.

From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine

Symptoms of NPH — in which cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain but pressure doesn’t increase — include difficulty walking, according to the Alzheimer’s Assn.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2025

Ventricular arrhythmia, which occurs in the lower chambers of the heart or ventricles, is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in the United States.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2024

And it might also lead to insights that could help parents and doctors treat babies with hydrocephalus, a neurological disorder caused by a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in ventricles deep within the brain.

From New York Times ● Nov. 12, 2023

Chakraborty suspected the outsize cells help bulk up that part of the fly’s heart, the equivalent of the human heart’s muscular ventricles.

From Science Magazine ● Aug. 23, 2023

Werner’s blood gallops through his ventricles, his thoughts on Hauptmann’s transceiver, on solder, fuses, batteries, antennas; his boot and Frederick’s touch the ground at the exact same moment.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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