199. Heart

See also 14. ANATOMY ; 51. BODY, HUMAN .

anginophobia

an abnormal fear of angina pectoris.

arrhythmia, arhythmia, arythmia, arrythmia

any abnormality in the rhythm of the heartbeat. — arrhythmic, arhythmic, arythmic, arrythmic, adj.

cardialgia, cardialgy

a burning or other painful feeling in the stomach or esophagus; heartburn.

cardioangiology

Medicine. the specialty that treats the heart and the blood vessels.

cardiocentesis

Medicine. the surgical puncture or incision of the heart. Also called cardiopuncture.

cardiodynamics

the branch of medical science that studies the forces and motions involved in the heart’s actions.

cardiodynia

Medicine. a pain in the heart.

cardiogenesis

Medical Science, the study of the development of the heart in the embryo.

cardiograph

an instrument to record the action of the heart. — cardiographer, n. — cardiographic, adj.

cardiography

Medicine. the technique of graphically recording some physical or functional features of heart action.

cardiokinetic

an agent that stimulates action of the heart.

cardiology

Medicine. the study of the heart and its functions. — cardiologist, n. — cardiologic, cardiological, adj.

cardiomalacia

Medicine. a disease causing a softening of the muscle of the heart.

cardiomegaly

Medicine. an abnormal enlargement of the heart.

cardiomyopathy

Medicine. a general term designating the early stages of diseases of heart muscles.

cardiopaludism

Medicine. a heart disease caused by malaria and marked by increases in heart rhythm and doubled beating.

cardiopathy

any disease or disorder of the heart. — cardiopath, n . — cardiopathic, adj.

cardiophobia

an abnormal fear of heart disease.

cardiopuncture

cardiocentesis.

cardioversion

Medicine. the restoration of proper heart rhythm by electrical shock.

carditis

an inflamed condition of the heart.

crotism

the condition of having a single (monocrotism), double (dicrotism), etc., heartbeat.

diastole

the rhythmic dilatation of the heart during which the muscle relaxes and the chambers fill with blood. Cf. systole. — diastolic, adj.

dicrotism

the condition of having a doublé heartbeat. — dicrotic, adj.

endocarditis

an inflamed condition of the endocardium, the membrane that lines heart chambers.

eurhythmy

an even pulsebeat. — eurhythmic, adj.

fibrillation

the uncontrolled twitching of the muscular fibrils, especially of the cardiac muscles.

infarction

a condition in which a localized area of muscular tissue is dying or dead owing to insufficient supply of blood, as occurs in a heart attack.

monocrotism

the condition of having a single heartbeat. — monocrotic, adj.

myocarditis

an inflamed condition of the muscular walls of the heart.

palpitation

1. rapid and irregular beating of the heart.

2. a trembling of the body, as from fear or anxiety.

pericarditis

an inflamed condition of the pericardium, the membrane that surrounds the heart.

systole

the rhythmic contraction of the heart, and especially of the ventricles, following each dilatation. Cf. diastole. — systolic, adj.

tachycardia

abnormally rapid beating of the heart.

tricrotism

the condition of having three arterial beats for every one heartbeat, as in certain pulses. — tricrotic, adj.

valvulitis

inflammation of a cardiac valve, usually caused by syphilis or rheumatic fever.