| crisscross heart | Cardiac malformation characterised by an atrioventricular spatial relation that places or appears to place each ventricle in a contralateral position relative to its associated atrium. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| crux of heart | The zone of junction of the septa and walls of the four chambers of the heart. Synonym: cross. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hairy heart | Acute pericarditis with fibrinous exudate. See: bread-and-butter pericardium. Synonym: hairy heart, pericarditis villosa, shaggy pericardium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| premature contraction of the heart | When a single heartbeat occurs earlier than normal. This phenomenon can be within normal limits or represent a medically significant arrhythmia. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sabot heart | <radiology> The radiographic configuration of the heart in the tetralogy of Fallot; the elevated apex gives a silhouette like that of a wooden shoe Synonym: sabot heart, wooden-shoe heart. (05 Mar 2000) |
| heart | To give heart to; to hearten; to encourage; to inspirit. "My cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason." (Shak) To form a compact center or heart; as, a hearting cabbage. 1. <anatomy> A hollow, muscular organ, which, by contracting rhythmically, keeps up the circulation of the blood. "Why does my blood thus muster to my heart!" (Shak) In adult mammals and birds, the heart is four-chambered, the right auricle and ventricle being completely separated from the left auricle and ventricle; and the blood flows from the systematic veins to the right auricle, thence to the right ventricle, from which it is forced to the lungs, then returned to the left auricle, thence passes to the left ventricle, from which it is driven into the systematic arteries. In fishes there are but one auricle and one ventricle, the blood being pumped from the ventricle through the gills to the system, and thence returned to the auricle. In most amphibians and reptiles, the separation of the auricles is partial or complete, and in reptiles the ventricles also are separated more or less completely. The so-called lymph hearts, found in many amphibians, reptiles, and birds, are contractile sacs, which pump the lymph into the veins. 2. The seat of the affections or sensibilities, collectively or separately, as love, hate, joy, grief, courage, and the like; rarely, the seat of the understanding or will; usually in a good sense, when no epithet is expressed; the better or lovelier part of our nature; the spring of all our actions and purposes; the seat of moral life and character; the moral affections and character itself; the individual disposition and character; as, a good, tender, loving, bad, hard, or selfish heart. "Hearts are dust, hearts' loves remain." (Emerson) 3. The nearest the middle or center; the part most hidden and within; the inmost or most essential part of any body or system; the source of life and motion in any organization; the chief or vital portion; the center of activity, or of energetic or efficient action; as, the heart of a country, of a tree, etc. "Exploits done in the heart of France." (Shak) "Peace subsisting at the heart Of endless agitation." (Wordsworth) 4. Courage; courageous purpose; spirit. "Eve, recovering heart, replied." (Milton) "The expelled nations take heart, and when they fly from one country invade another." (Sir W. Temple) 5. Vigorous and efficient activity; power of fertile production; condition of the soil, whether good or bad. "That the spent earth may gather heart again." (Dryden) 6. That which resembles a heart in shape; especially, a roundish or oval figure or object having an obtuse point at one end, and at the other a corresponding indentation, used as a symbol or representative of the heart. 7. One of a series of playing cards, distinguished by the figure or figures of a heart; as, hearts are trumps. 8. Vital part; secret meaning; real intention. "And then show you the heart of my message." (Shak) 9. A term of affectionate or kindly and familiar address. "I speak to thee, my heart." Heart is used in many compounds, the most of which need no special explanation; as, heart-appalling, heart-breaking, heart-cheering, heart-chilled, heart-expanding, heart-free, heart-hardened, heart-heavy, heart-purifying, heart-searching, heart-sickening, heart-sinking, heart-stirring, heart-touching, heart-wearing, heart-whole, heart-wounding, heart-wringing, etc. After one's own heart, conforming with one's inmost approval and desire; as, a friend after my own heart. "The Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart." (1 Sam. Xiii. 14) at heart, in the inmost character or disposition; at bottom; really; as, he is at heart a good man. By heart, in the closest or most thorough manner; as, to know or learn by heart. "Composing songs, for fools to get by heart" (that is, to commit to memory, or to learn thoroughly). For my heart, for my life; if my life were at stake. "I could not get him for my heart to do it." . Heart bond, any heartshaped, spatangoid sea urchin. See Spatangoid. Heart wheel, a form of cam, shaped like a heart. See Cam. In good heart, in good courage; in good hope. Out of heart, discouraged. Poor heart, an exclamation of pity. To break the heart of. To bring to despair or hopeless grief; to cause to be utterly cast down by sorrow. To bring almost to completion; to finish very nearly; said of anything undertaken; as, he has broken the heart of the task. To find in the heart, to be willing or disposed. "I could find in my heart to ask your pardon." . To have at heart, to desire (anything) earnestly. To have in the heart, to purpose; to design or intend to do. To have the heart in the mouth, to be much frightened. To lose heart, to become discouraged. To lose one's heart, to fall in love. To set the heart at rest, to put one's self at ease. To set the heart upon, to fix the desires on; to long for earnestly; to be very fond of. To take heart of grace, to take courage. To take to heart, to grieve over. To wear one's heart upon one's sleeve, to expose one's feelings or intentions; to be frank or impulsive. With all one's whole heart, very earnestly; fully; completely; devotedly. Origin: OE. Harte, herte, heorte, AS. Heorte; akin to OS. Herta, OFies. Hirte, D. Hart, OHG. Herza, G. Herz, Icel. Hjarta, Sw. Hjerta, Goth. Hairt, Lith. Szirdis, Russ. Serdtse, Ir. Cridhe, L. Cor, Gr, . Cf. Accord, Discord, Cordial, 4th Core, Courage. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| heart and lung transplant | A surgical procedure which replaces a diseased heart and lungs with a healthy heart and lungs from a donor. They have been used in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension and isolated severe heart and lung disease. They are not recommended for those with associated systemic disorders such as diabetes or autoimmune illness. Those with liver and/or kidney disease are also not candidates. Long-term outcomes are still being studied. (27 Sep 1997) |
| heart aneurysm | An aneurysmal dilatation of a portion of the wall of the ventricle, usually the left, or, rarely, a saccular protrusion through it (false aneurysm of the heart). It is usually consequent to myocardial infarction but other causes such as bacterial endocarditis or trauma have been described. (12 Dec 1998) |
| heart antigen | A diphosphatidyl glycerol that is found in the membrane of Treponema pallidum and is the antigen detected by the Wasserman test for syphilis. (18 Nov 1997) |
| heart arrest | Sudden and usually momentary cessation of cardiac function. This sudden cessation may, but not usually, lead to death, sudden, cardiac. (12 Dec 1998) |
| heart arrest, induced | Arrest of the contraction of the myocardium by the use of cardioplegic chemical compounds (cardioplegic solutions) or of cold during heart surgery. (12 Dec 1998) |
| heart, artificial | A pumping mechanism that duplicates the output, rate, and blood pressure of the natural heart. It may replace the function of the entire heart or a portion of it, and may be an intracorporeal, extracorporeal, or paracorporeal heart. (12 Dec 1998) |
| heart-assist devices | Small pumps, often implantable, designed for temporarily assisting the heart, usually the left ventricle, to pump blood; they consist of a pumping chamber and a power source, which may be partially or totally external to the body and activated by electromagnetic motors; the devices are used after myocardial infarction or to wean the repaired heart from the heart-lung machine after open-heart surgery. (12 Dec 1998) |
| heart atrium | The upper right and left chambers of the heart. (12 Dec 1998) |
| heart attack | This refers to that damage that occurs to the heart when one of the coronary arteries becomes occluded. Common symptoms include crushing, substernal chest pain that may radiate to the jaw or the left arm, accompanied by nausea, sweating and shortness of breath. Fainting is a more uncommon presentation. (27 Sep 1997) |