Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition involving the blockage of a blood vessel: An "embolism" is the occlusion or obstruction of a blood vessel by an embolus, which can be a blood clot, air bubble, fat globule, or other particle traveling through the bloodstream.
   • An intercalation; an insertion into a calendar: In a historical or formal context, an "embolism" can refer to the insertion of an extra day, month, or period into a calendar to correct its alignment with the solar year.

Usage Examples

• Medical sense:
  • The patient was hospitalized due to a pulmonary embolism.
  • An air embolism can be a serious complication of diving.
• Calendar sense:
  • The ancient calendar required an embolism every few years to stay accurate.
  • The reform addressed the need for an embolism to synchronize the lunar and solar cycles.

Advanced Usage

• "Paradoxical embolism": An embolus that travels from the venous side of the circulation to the arterial side, typically through a defect in the heart.
  • A patent foramen ovale can allow for a paradoxical embolism.
• "Embolism" in rhetoric: While rare, the term can be used metaphorically to describe an interruption or insertion in a sequence.
  • The author's lengthy footnote was an unwelcome embolism in the narrative flow.

Variants and Related Words

• Embolus (n): The particle (clot, air, etc.) itself that causes the blockage.
  • The embolus originated in the leg vein.
• Embolic (adj): Relating to or caused by an embolism.
  • She was treated for an embolic stroke.
• Thromboembolism (n): A specific type of embolism caused by a thrombus (blood clot) that has broken free.
  • Deep vein thrombosis is a common cause of thromboembolism.

Synonyms

• Blockage: A general term for an obstruction.
• Occlusion: The act of blocking or closing a passage, especially a blood vessel.
• Intercalation: The insertion of an extra period of time, synonymous with the calendar sense.

Related Phrases

• "Risk factors for embolism": Conditions or behaviors that increase the chance of an embolism occurring.
  • Prolonged immobility, surgery, and certain heart conditions are risk factors for embolism.
• "To suffer an embolism": To experience this medical event.
  • He suffered a cerebral embolism last year.

Related Idioms

There are no common idioms that use the word "embolism" directly due to its technical nature. It is primarily used in medical and specific historical contexts.

Noun

1. occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus (a loose clot or air bubble or other particle)
2. an insertion into a calendar