ventricle

noun

ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl How to pronounce ventricle (audio)
: a cavity of a bodily part or organ: such as
a
: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries see heart illustration
b
: any of a system of communicating cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord see brain illustration

Examples of ventricle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Within fractions of a second, the wire in the ventricle should detect that electrical activity. Virginia Singla, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2023 The researchers tackled the left side first by focusing on the mitral valve, which controls the flow between the left atrium and ventricle (the heart’s upper and lower chambers). Payal Dhar, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2024 One wire rests near the sinoatrial node, and the second in one of the heart’s ventricles. Virginia Singla, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2023 But the new echocardiogram showed that her mitral valve between the left atrium and ventricle was letting blood surge backwards into the lungs. Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 18 June 2022 They are most often used to pace the right ventricle in people with chronic atrial fibrillation and require pacing to maintain an adequate heart rate. Jennifer Whitlock, Rn, Msn, Fn, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2023 The device corrects this by delivering synchronized pulses to the right atrium and right ventricle (lower chamber). Jennifer Whitlock, Rn, Msn, Fn, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2023 In this disorder, the muscular walls of the left ventricle — the part of the heart that squeezes the blood into the body — are suddenly weakened, stretched out like an old piece of elastic. New York Times, 3 Feb. 2022 Hassan was born with a very large hole between the ventricles of her heart, called a VSD (ventricular septal defect), according to her surgeon, Dr. Timothy Pettitt from Children’s Hospital New Orleans. Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 31 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ventricle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Latin ventriculus "belly, stomach, cavity in an organ," from ventr-, venter "belly, womb" + -culus, diminutive suffix (variant of -ulus -ule with nouns of the 3rd, 4th and 5th declensions) — more at venter

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ventricle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ventricle

Cite this Entry

“Ventricle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ventricle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ventricle

noun
ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl How to pronounce ventricle (audio)
1
: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from an atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries
2
: one of the cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord

Medical Definition

ventricle

noun
ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl How to pronounce ventricle (audio)
: a cavity of a bodily part or organ: as
a
: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries
b
: one of the system of communicating cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord, that like it are derived from the medullary canal of the embryo, that are lined with an epithelial ependyma, and that contain a serous fluid see lateral ventricle, third ventricle, fourth ventricle
c
: a fossa or pouch on each side of the larynx between the false vocal cords above and the true vocal cords below

More from Merriam-Webster on ventricle

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