heart-lung machine

noun

: a mechanical pump that maintains circulation during heart surgery by shunting blood away from the heart, oxygenating it, and returning it to the body

Examples of heart-lung machine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The units are used in conjunction with a heart-lung machine, which takes over the function of the heart and lungs during heart surgery. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026 The operation was less radical than total heart replacement and was carried out without needing a heart-lung machine. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025 This alternative type of cancer treatment uses a heart-lung machine to heat a patient's blood outside the body as a means of shrinking tumors. Khloe Quill, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025 The procedure offers an alternative to connecting the patient to a heart-lung machine and repairing or replacing the mitral valve in open-heart surgery. Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 16 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for heart-lung machine

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heart-lung machine was in 1953

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Cite this Entry

“Heart-lung machine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heart-lung%20machine. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

Medical Definition

heart-lung machine

noun
heart-lung ma·​chine ˌhärt-ˈləŋ-mə-ˌshēn How to pronounce heart-lung machine (audio)
: a mechanical pump that maintains circulation during heart surgery by shunting blood away from the heart, oxygenating it, and returning it to the body
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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