ventricle

noun

ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl 

: a cavity of a bodily part or organ: such as

a

: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries see heart illustration

b

: any of a system of communicating cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord see brain illustration

Examples of ventricle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The bullet lodged near the right ventricle of his heart, then-NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. —Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 5 July 2024

Per Deadline, Priem had cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) with left ventricle hypertrophy. —Keisha Hatchett, TVLine, 19 June 2024

In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Eko’s algorithm for detecting low ejection fraction, a key heart failure indicator that occurs when the heart’s left ventricle doesn’t pump out enough blood. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 5 June 2024

In the new procedure called a biventricular conversion, the smaller heart chamber is made to grow to normal size by increasing blood flow through the lungs and redirecting blood flow to make the ventricles grow, Aggarwal explains. —Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Latin ventriculus "belly, stomach, cavity in an organ," from ventr-, venter "belly, womb" + -culus, diminutive suffix (variant of -ulus -ule with nouns of the 3rd, 4th and 5th declensions) — more at venter

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ventricle

• third ventricle

Kids Definition

ventricle

noun

ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl 

1

: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from an atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries

2

: one of the cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord

Medical Definition

ventricle

noun

ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl 

: a cavity of a bodily part or organ: as

a

: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries

b

: one of the system of communicating cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord, that like it are derived from the medullary canal of the embryo, that are lined with an epithelial ependyma, and that contain a serous fluid see lateral ventricle, third ventricle, fourth ventricle

c

: a fossa or pouch on each side of the larynx between the false vocal cords above and the true vocal cords below