See also anatomy; body, human.
anginophobia
an abnormal fear of angina pectoris.
arrhythmia
any abnormality in the rhythm of the heartbeat. —arrhythmic, arhythmic, arythmic, arrythmic, adj.
cardialgia
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.
