EMBOLISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does embolism mean? 

• EMBOLISM (noun)
  The noun EMBOLISM has 2 senses:

1. an insertion into a calendar

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

  Familiarity information: EMBOLISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EMBOLISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An insertion into a calendar

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

embolism; intercalation

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)

Sense 2

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)

 Context examples 

EXAMPLE(S):death, back pain, headache, pulmonary embolism, heart attack.

(Defined Adverse Event, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

EXAMPLE(S):death, back pain, headache, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, pregnancy, flu, broken bone, menstrual period, depression; OTHER NAME(S):Clinical Events, Medical History.

(Defined Medical Condition Result, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

EXAMPLE(S): death, back pain, headache, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, pregnancy, flu, broken bone, menstrual period, depression.

(Performed Medical Condition Result, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

Causes include atherosclerosis, inflammatory processes, thrombosis, and embolism.

(Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease, NCI Thesaurus)

Representative examples include cerebrovascular ischemia, cerebral embolism, and cerebral infarction.

(Cerebrovascular Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

If a blood clot in a deep vein breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs and blocks blood flow, the condition is called pulmonary embolism.

(Blood Clots, NIH)

It may lead to venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

(Antithrombin III Deficiency, NCI Thesaurus)

EXAMPLE(S): death, back pain, headache, pulmonary embolism, heart attack

(Adverse event, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

A deep vein thrombosis can break loose and cause a serious problem in the lung, called a pulmonary embolism.

(Deep Vein Thrombosis, NIH)

Upon administration, alteplase increases plasmin enzymatic activity, resulting in hyperfibrinolysis and potential dissolution of a thrombus or embolism.

(Alteplase, NCI Thesaurus)