embolism
C2Technical / Formal
Definition
Meaning
A medical condition where a blood clot, air bubble, or other obstruction travels through and blocks a blood vessel.
1) In medicine, any sudden blockage of an artery. 2) In calendars (historical), the insertion of a day, month, or other unit into a calendar to align it with the solar year (e.g., in the Roman calendar).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In modern usage, the primary meaning is medical. The calendrical meaning is historical and now highly specialized or archaic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in medical meaning. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Solely medical/clinical; the calendrical sense is equally obsolete in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency outside medical contexts in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
patient + suffer + from + an embolismclot + cause + an embolismdoctor + diagnose + an embolismVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in medical, biological, and historical (calendar studies) papers.
Everyday
Rare; used only when discussing specific medical events.
Technical
Core term in cardiology, pulmonology, haematology, and vascular surgery.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The clot could embolise to the lungs.
- The material risked embolising.
American English
- The clot could embolize to the lungs.
- The material risked embolizing.
adverb
British English
- The material travelled embolically.
American English
- The material traveled embolically.
adjective
British English
- The embolic event was sudden.
- They monitored for embolic complications.
American English
- The embolic event was sudden.
- They monitored for embolic complications.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- A blood clot in the leg can be very dangerous.
- The doctor was worried about a blockage.
- Long flights increase the risk of developing a pulmonary embolism.
- The patient was hospitalized after suffering an embolism.
- The fat embolism, though rare, is a serious complication of major bone fractures.
- Anticoagulant therapy is crucial to prevent recurrent thromboembolism.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'EMergency BLOckage in an organISM' → EMBOLISM.
Conceptual Metaphor
A ROADBLOCK IN THE BLOOD HIGHWAY.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'эмболизм' (direct loan, correct). Be careful not to translate as 'тромб' (thrombus) which is the clot itself, not the event of it traveling and blocking.
Common Mistakes
- Mispronouncing as /emˈboʊlɪzəm/ (stress on second syllable).
- Using 'embolism' to refer to any clot, even one that hasn't moved (that's a thrombus).
- Confusing with 'aneurysm' (bulge in vessel, not a blockage).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary, modern meaning of 'embolism'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A thrombus is a blood clot that forms and remains stationary in a vessel. An embolism occurs when a clot (or other material) travels from its origin and lodges in a narrower vessel, blocking it.
No. While clots (thromboembolism) are most common, embolisms can also be caused by air (air embolism), fat (fat embolism), amniotic fluid, or even foreign objects.
Almost never in modern English. Its other historical meaning related to calendar intercalation is obsolete and would only appear in specialized historical texts.
It is a specific and common type of embolism where the blockage occurs in one of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs, often originating from a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the leg.