Library / English Dictionary

EMBOLISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus (a loose clot or air bubble or other particle)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("embolism" is a kind of...):

occlusion (closure or blockage (as of a blood vessel))

Meronyms (parts of "embolism"):

embolus (an abnormal particle (e.g. an air bubble or part of a clot) circulating in the blood)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "embolism"):

aeroembolism; air embolism; gas embolism (obstruction of the circulatory system caused by an air bubble as, e.g., accidentally during surgery or hypodermic injection or as a complication from scuba diving)

fat embolism (serious condition in which fat blocks an artery; fat can enter the blood stream after a long bone is fractured or if adipose tissue is injured or as a result of a fatty liver)

pulmonary embolism (blockage of the pulmonary artery by foreign matter or by a blood clot)

Derivation:

embolic (of or relating to an embolism or embolus)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An insertion into a calendar

Synonyms:

embolism; intercalation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("embolism" is a kind of...):

interval; time interval (a definite length of time marked off by two instants)

Holonyms ("embolism" is a part of...):

calendar (a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year)

Credits

 Context examples: 

It may be caused by atherosclerosis, embolism or hemorrhage.

(Basilar Artery Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

If a tree loses too much water too quickly, an air bubble (embolism) forms.

(What's killing trees during droughts?, National Science Foundation)

Diminished or absent blood supply to the brain caused by obstruction (thrombosis or embolism) of an artery resulting in neurologic damage.

(Cerebrovascular Ischemia, NCI Thesaurus)

If a clot grows too big, pieces dislodged by blood flow (emboli) can block downstream blood vessels in the lungs or brain, leading to life-threatening complications such as pulmonary embolism or ischemic stroke.

(How And Why Blood Clots Shrink, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Any of a group of disorders leading to occlusion of the arteries arising from the aortic arch. Such occlusion may be caused by atherosclerosis, arterial embolism, syphilitic or tuberculous arteritis, etc.

(Aortic Arch Syndrome, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

There can be many other causes, including: • Other heart problems, such as angina • Panic attacks • Digestive problems, such as heartburn or esophagus disorders • Sore muscles • Lung diseases, such as pneumonia, pleurisy, or pulmonary embolism • Costochondritis - an inflammation of joints in your chest

(Chest Pain, NIH)