Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Apgar score

play
noun Ap·gar score \ ˈap-ˌgär- \

Definition of Apgar score

:an index used to evaluate the condition of a newborn infant based on a rating of 0, 1, or 2 for each of the five characteristics of color, heart rate, response to stimulation of the sole of the foot, muscle tone, and respiration with 10 being a perfect score

Explore Merriam-Webster

alt-59c2cb9e9ef54
Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"
image536372841
Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Origin and Etymology of apgar score

Virginia Apgar †1974 American anesthesiologist

Medical Dictionary

Apgar score

play
noun Ap·gar score \ ˈap-ˌgär-ˈskō(ə)r, -ˈskȯ(ə)r \

medical Definition of Apgar score

:an index used to evaluate the condition of a newborn infant based on a rating of 0, 1, or 2 for each of the five characteristics of color, heart rate, response to stimulation of the sole of the foot, muscle tone, and respiration with 10 being a perfect score

Biographical Note for apgar score

  • Apgar, Virginia (1909–1974), American physician. Apgar began her medical career as an anesthesiologist and was for many years an attending anesthesiologist. As a result of her duties in the hospital delivery room, she developed a concern for the lack of immediate medical attention given the newborn. To rectify the situation she developed the Apgar score as a simple, quick test to determine the need for emergency treatment. The test soon became a standard procedure in hospitals all over the world. Turning to the study of congenital anomalies, Apgar became an authority on teratology and proper prenatal care.

    • Learn More about apgar score

    1. See words that rhyme with Apgar score Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Apgar score

    Seen and Heard

    What made you want to look up Apgar score? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

    show hide

    Love words? Need even more definitions?

    Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

    WORD OF THE DAY

    shofar

    play

    a ram's-horn trumpet used in Judaism

    Get Word of the Day daily email!

    TRENDING NOW

    1. otherwise "in other respects"

    2. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

    3. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

    4. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

    5. allegory No spoilers!

    SEE ALL

    BROWSE DICTIONARY

    Apgar score

    Test Your Vocabulary

    Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

    • young-plant-shoots
    • Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?
    Name That Thing

    Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

    TAKE THE QUIZ
    Bee Cubed

    Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

    TAKE THE QUIZ

    Love words? Need even more definitions?

    Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

    Words at Play

    alt-59c2960017c94
    The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

    When you push a meeting, where does it go?

    image536372841
    Silent Letters

    When each letter can be seen but not heard

    alt-59c17b8172892
    'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

    Its origins are surprisingly murky.

    alt-59c13729150dc
    "Immune to" or "Immune from"?

    Nobody is immune to this question.

    Ask the Editors

    video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
    Words of the Year: 1066

    Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

    payday
    How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

    Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

    video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
    Irregardless

    It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

    video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
    Weird Plurals

    One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

    Word Games

    young-plant-shoots
    Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

    You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

    Take the quiz
    stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
    Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

    No tricks, just difficult words.

    Take the quiz
    Name That Thing
    Name That Thing

    Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

    Take the quiz
    Bee Cubed
    Bee Cubed

    Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

    Play the game