defibrillator

noun

de·​fi·​bril·​la·​tor (ˌ)dē-ˈfi-brə-ˌlā-tər How to pronounce defibrillator (audio)
: an electronic device that applies an electric shock to restore the rhythm of a fibrillating heart
defibrillate transitive verb
defibrillation noun

Examples of defibrillator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Volunteers staged a bucket collection for the Red Sky Foundation’s ‘One in Every Corner’ campaign, which aims to raise funds to install defibrillators in each corner of every football ground in the UK. Steve Madeley, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025 Relief pitcher Kenley Jansen will not travel with the team to Denver for its weekend series against the Colorado Rockies due to previous heart issues that required the use of a defibrillator to re-start his heart. Andrew Wagner, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 Researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark followed 1,200 patients at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) who already had tiny implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in their chests. Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025 In these trials, a DJI M300 drone carried a defibrillator in response to a simulated 999 call. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for defibrillator

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of defibrillator was in 1952

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Cite this Entry

“Defibrillator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defibrillator. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

defibrillator

noun
de·​fi·​bril·​la·​tor (ˈ)dē-ˈfib-rə-ˌlāt-ər How to pronounce defibrillator (audio) -ˈfīb- How to pronounce defibrillator (audio)
: an electronic device used to defibrillate a heart by applying an electric shock to it

More from Merriam-Webster on defibrillator

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