| acathisia | 1. <neurology> A condition of motor restlessness in which there is a feeling of muscular quivering, an urge to move about constantly and an inability to sit still, a common extrapyramidal side effect of neuroleptic drugs. 2. An inability to sit down because of intense anxiety at the thought of doing so. Origin: Gr. Kathisis = a sitting down (18 Nov 1997) |
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| acaudal | Having no tail. Origin: G. A-priv. + L. Cauda, tail (05 Mar 2000) |
| acaudate | Having no tail. Origin: G. A-priv. + L. Cauda, tail (05 Mar 2000) |
| acaulescent | <botany> Describes a plant that lacks or seems to lack a stem. (06 May 1997) |
| acauline | <botany> Same as Acaulescent. Origin: Pref. A- not + cauline. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acaulous | <botany> Same as Acaulescent. Origin: Gr.; priv. + stalk or L. Caulis stalk. See Cole. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| accelerans | 1. Accelerating. 2. Obsolete term for an accelerator (sympathetic) nerve to the heart. Origin: L. Accelerator (05 Mar 2000) |
| accelerant | 1. Anything that increases rapidity of action or function. 2. In physiology, a nerve, muscle, or substance that quickens movement or response. 3. A catalytic agent used to hasten a chemical reaction. 4. In nuclear physics, a device that accelerates charged particles (e.g., protons) to high speed in order to produce nuclear reactions in a target, often for the production of radionuclides or for radiation therapy. Synonym: accelerant. Origin: L. Accelerans, pres. P. Of ac-celero, to hasten, fr. Celer, swift (05 Mar 2000) |
| accelerate | 1. To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of; opposed to retard. 2. To quicken the natural or ordinary progression or process of; as, to accelerate the growth of a plant, the increase of wealth, etc. 3. To hasten, as the occurence of an event; as, to accelerate our departure. <mechanics> Accelerated motion, motion with a continually increasing velocity. Accelerating force, the force which causes accelerated motion. (Nichol) Synonym: To hasten, expedite, quicken, dispatch, forward, advance, further. Origin: L. Acceleratus, p. P. Of accelerare; ad + celerare to hasten; celer quick. See Celerity. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| accelerated conduction | Any pathologically increased speed of conduction; usually occurs between the atrium and ventricles as in the Wolff-Parkinson-White and Lown-Ganong-Levine syndromes; such accelerated pathways provide the bases for particular forms of reentry tachycardia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accelerated hypertension | <cardiology> A severe form of acute hypertension that results in the abrupt rise in the blood pressure (diastolic pressure often over 120 mmHg). If left untreated, malignant hypertension can cause damage to the blood vessels in the eye, kidneys, brain and heart. Complications include stroke, heart attack, blindness and renal failure. Symptoms include headache, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and lethargy. Neurologic symptoms are also a common finding. Malignant hypertension occurs more commonly in males, African Americans and those with a history for hypertension. (27 Sep 1997) |
| accelerated idioventricular rhythm | A transient and intermittent type of arrhythmia with episodes lasting from a few seconds to a minute which usually occurs in patients with acute myocardial infarction or with digitalis toxicity. Suppressive therapy is rarely necessary because the ventricular rate is generally less than 100 beats per minute. (12 Dec 1998) |
| accelerated phase of leukaemia | Refers to chronic myelogenous leukaemia that is progressing. The number of immature, abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and blood is higher than in the chronic phase, but not as high as in the blast phase. (12 Dec 1998) |
| accelerated reaction | A response occurring in a shorter time than expected; the cutaneous manifestations occurring during the period between the second and tenth day following smallpox vaccination; because it is intermediate between a primary reaction and an immediate reaction, it is regarded as evidence of some degree of resistance. Synonym: vaccinoid reaction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accelerated rejection | A transplant rejection manifested in less than three days. (05 Mar 2000) |