cardiacadj.n.
/ˈkɑːdɪak/, U.S. /ˈkɑrdiˌæk/ A. adj.
I. Senses relating to the heart.
1. Of or relating to the heart.Earliest in cardiac passion (see Compounds).
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the world > life > the body > vascular system > heart > [adjective]
cardiaca1398
cardiala1413
cordial?a1450
cardiacal?1570
heartward1667
cardine1771
cardiorenal1854
cardiorespiratory1857
intracardial1876
cardiopulmonary1879
intracardiac1887
cardiodiaphragmatic1907
heart-lung1908
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. xxxiii. 930 Þe firste [Cardimomum] is cleped þe bettre..and helpeþ þerfore aȝens þe cardiac passioun [L. cardiacam passionem].
1629 G. Chapman tr. Juvenal Fifth Satyre in Iustification Nero 14 His longing frend..blowne in fume vp with a Cardiack [L. cardiaco] fit.
1732 A. Monro Anat. Humane Bones (ed. 2) 35 The Cardiac Nerves.
1835–6 Todd's Cycl. Anat. & Physiol. I. 192/1 The cardiac arteries arise from the aorta close to its origin.
1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. II. 30 We both suffered from cardiac symptoms.
2003 N.Y. Times 18 May 3/1 Minimally invasive robotically controlled cardiac surgery is the latest frontier in heart surgery.
2. Of a medicinal agent: having the (supposed) property of strengthening the heart (cf. cordial adj. 1a); having a physiological effect on the heart or cardiovascular system.cardiac glucoside, cardiac glycoside: see Compounds.
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the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > preparations for treating specific parts > [adjective] > for the heart
cardiacal1620
cardiac1655
cardiotonic1866
beta-blocking1948
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > restoratives, tonics, or stimulants > [adjective] > restorative > to the heart
cardiacal1620
cardiac1655
vorticordious1669
cardiotonic1866
1655 J. Cooke Suppl. Chirurg. 348 Carduus benedictus. Its an herbe much used in posset-drink..; its cardiack, alexipharmick and sudorifick.
1718 J. Quincy Pharmacopœia Officinalis 77 Whatsoever raises the Spirits, and gives sudden Strength..is term'd Cardiack, or Cordial, as comforting the Heart.
1879 J. Muter Key Org. Materia Medica (ed. 3) 57 In large doses it is cardiac, depressive, and a narcotic poison.
1906 Times 10 May 4/5 (advt.) What doctors seek is not merely a cardiac stimulant, but something also to tone and refresh the nervous and mental system.
2020 J. Heymann et al. Advancing Equality iv. 84 A range of migrants..found themselves without access to basic prenatal, obstetrical, and pediatric care, as well as essential medicines like insulin and cardiac drugs.
3. Affected with a disorder of the heart.
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the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of heart > [adjective]
cardiacal1559
cardiac1661
cardio1928
1661 R. Lovell Πανζωορυκτολογια, sive Panzoologicomineralogia 97 It [sc. Musk-catt] helps those that are cardiack.
1748 tr. Vegetius Of Distempers Horses 50 Such [Horses] as have the Head-ach, or the Staggers, or are mad or are cardiac [L. cardiaco].
1920 Med. Clinics N. Amer. 3 1355 The occurrence of an infection must always be regarded more seriously in cardiac cases than in the normal individual.
2006 N.Y. Times Mag. 20 Aug. 33/2 As it happened, a lot of his cardiac patients worked as teachers.
4. Originally U.S. Now chiefly Philippine English. Of a sporting contest: tense or exciting; full of suspense; dramatic. Cf. heart-stopping adj. 1.
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the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > state of uncertainty, suspense > [adjective] > full of suspense
suspenseful1656
heart-stopping1888
edge-of-your-seat1922
cliff-hanging1930
cliff-hanging1945
nail-biting1946
cardiac1961
1961 Lovington Daily Leader 3 Nov. 7/5 University of Arkansas coach..says he expects ‘another one of those cardiac ball games’ from Texas A&M Saturday at Fayetteville.
2020 Cebu (Philippines) Daily News (Nexis) 17 Nov. The Fighting Maroons Men's Basketball team had been branded as 'Cramming Maroons' by fans due to their nail-biting, cardiac victories..as three out of the nine wins have been one-point advantages.
II. Other senses.
5. Anatomy. Designating the opening between the oesophagus and stomach, and the part of the stomach adjacent to this. Also: of or relating to this part of the stomach. Cf. cardia n.
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the world > life > the body > digestive or excretive organs > digestive organs > stomach or belly > [adjective] > orifices of
pyloric1689
cardiac1730
1730 J. Cook Anat. & Mech. Ess. I. vi. 95 The third sort [of these Muscular Fibres] are oblique, surrounding the left Orifice of the Stomach, called the Cardiac.
1866 T. H. Huxley Lessons Elem. Physiol. (1869) vi. 166 Its [sc. the stomach's] left end is produced into an enlargement which, because it is on the heart side of the body, is called the cardiac dilatation. The opening of the gullet into the stomach, termed the cardiac aperture.
1954 H. W. Florey Lect. Gen. Pathol. vi. 123 At the pyloric end of the stomach the glandular crypts are entirely lined by cells rather like the mucous cells of the neck, and at the cardiac end there is a similar small collection of mucous-producing glands known as the cardiac glands.
2005 Arch. Pathol. & Lab. Med. 129 185/1 If more than 50% of the mass of the tumor is situated in the cardia, the tumor should be considered to be of cardiac origin.
6. Mechanics. Having a heart-shaped outline or cross-section. Chiefly in cardiac cam, †cardiac wheel. Cf. heart cam n. at heart n., int., and adv. Compounds 3a. Now rare.Cf. cardioid adj. 1a.
ΚΠ
1855 J. Ogilvie Suppl. Imperial Dict. Cardiac-wheel, the heart-wheel; a cam-wheel of the form of a heart.
1890 Mech. News 15 Oct. 230/1 An intermediate spindle having a set of cams or cardiac circles formed upon each of its ends.
1923 Official Gaz. (U.S. Patent Office) 313 857/2 A cardiac cam carried by said rotary member.
1960 Electronics 12 Aug. 162/1 An eccentric or cardiac cam is used in this new packaging technique to actuate a movable printed circuit board.
B. n.† 1. A medicinal plant (not identified; perhaps garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata, hedge mustard, Sisymbrium officinale, or motherwort, Leonurus cardiaca). Cf. cardiaca n. 2. Obsolete. rare.† 2. A disorder characterized by symptoms attributed to the heart, esp. palpitations and syncope. Cf. cardiac passion n. (a) at Compounds, cardiaca n. 1, cardiacle n. Obsolete.
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?a1425 (?1373) Lelamour Herbal (1938) f. 16 (MED) Cardiake is an erbe þat sum men calliþ cilsper.
?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh.) (1950) 146 (MED) Cardiaca is an herbe þat men clepe cardyake or caspere.
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the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of heart > [noun] > palpitation or tachycardia
cardiaclea1398
cardiac passiona1398
cardiaca?a1425
palpitation?a1425
cardiacc1435
heart-quake1561
heart-qualm1590
overbeating1819
tachycardia1889
heart hurry1890
torsade de pointes1967
c1435 (c1390) G. Chaucer Physician/Pardoner Link (Sloane 1685) (1897) l. 313 I haue almoste cauȝt a Cardiache [c1405 Hengwrt Cardynacle, c1415 Corpus Oxf. Cardyacle, c1415 Lansd. cardiacle].
a1450 (a1400) Titus & Vespasian (BL Add. 36523) l. 3182 Suche joye gan Titus to undertake, Þat hym toke a cardiake.
?1547 A. Borde Pryncyples Astron. vii. sig. B.viiv Thes be his [sc. Iubiter] sicknesses. The squince..the Litarge the Cephalick and the Cardiack aud such lyek the which doth com by the occasion of blode.
3. A medicinal agent or preparation that (supposedly) strengthens the heart, or that has a physiological effect on the heart or cardiovascular system. Cf. cordial n. 1a. Also figurative. Now rare.
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the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > preparations for treating specific parts > [noun] > for the heart
cordialc1405
cardiac1655
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > restoratives, tonics, or stimulants > [noun] > cordial
cordialc1405
cardiac1655
1655 J. Cooke Suppl. Chirurg. 407 Styrax Calamit. It heats, dries, mollifies, concocts... Its mixed with cardiacks.
1746 G. Berkeley Second Let. Tar-water §6 This medicine of tar-water worketh..as a..cardiac.
1803 Man in Moon 10 Dec. (1804) 65 How many cardiacs has the fertile invention of modern dramatists mixed up..to please an audience?
1895 Gen. Practitioner Oct. 208/1 Nitroglycerine lays itself apart from the other two cardiacs or cardiac drugs in the fact that it dilates arterioles and lowers arterial pressure.
1907 Eclectic Med. Gleaner 3 436 In spasm of the heart-muscle it [sc. cactus] is the most prompt of all cardiacs.
1984 Internat. Jrnl. Clin. Pharmacol., Therapy & Toxicol. 22 278/2 New monographs are presented which deal with anticoagulants, fibrinolytics, heart glycosides, cardiacs, sympathomimetics, [etc.].
4. An individual affected with heart disease.
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the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of heart > [noun] > person
cardiac1896
1896 Med. Press & Circular 23 Sept. 323/2 The proportion of cardiacs among marriageable females is too large for it to be practicable..to exclude them from their natural career as wives and mothers.
1972 I. L. Rubin et al. Treatm. Heart Dis. in Adult (ed. 2) xviii. 445 All cardiacs should be watched carefully for fall in blood pressure.
2004 Ann. Noninvasive Electrocardiol. 9 292/1 Not all cardiacs are able to walk this fast.
5. colloquial. A heart attack or cardiac arrest.
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the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > [noun] > obstruction
stoppinga1398
oppilationa1400
obstruction1533
stoppage1575
clausure1585
obstipation1612
infarction1689
congestion of an organ1803
heart attack1836
engorgement1872
infarct1873
MI1968
cardiac1972
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of heart > [noun] > blockage or stoppage
syncopec1400
syncopation1547
asystole1870
asystolism1870
cardiac arrest1873
arrest1883
heart block1903
tamponade1932
cardiac1972
1972 Harper's Mag. June 61/2 I thought I'd have to address twenty-four hundred envelopes myself, stay up seventy-two hours and die of a cardiac when Muskie steps off the train.
1992 Time Out 22 Apr. 77/3 Shelley plays a disillusioned teenage brat: this time the slatternly Maria, whose admission that she is pregnant provokes a family fight that drives dad to keel over with a cardiac.
2015 @JBMorrisAuthor 12 June in twitter.com (accessed 5 Mar. 2021) I am not scared of snakes—but I almost had a cardiac when I narrowly missed stepping on one. Had to sit down. Must be getting old.
Compounds
cardiac arrest n. cessation of the pumping action of the heart, occurring spontaneously or induced deliberately for surgical purposes (cf. cardioplegia n. 1); an instance of this.
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the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of heart > [noun] > blockage or stoppage
syncopec1400
syncopation1547
asystole1870
asystolism1870
cardiac arrest1873
arrest1883
heart block1903
tamponade1932
cardiac1972
1873 Philadelphia Med. Times 6 Sept. 770/2 If the drug [sc. bromide of potassium] be given by an injection practised in the vicinity of the heart, sudden cardiac arrest always occurs.
1955 Lancet 2 July 21/2 (title) Elective cardiac arrest.
1977 Rolling Stone 30 June 35/1 Jazz pianist Hampton Hawes died May 22nd in Los Angeles of a cardiac arrest following a cerebral hemorrhage.
2015 Atlantic Apr. 82/1 Worried that the aneurysm might burst and kill her during the operation, her surgeon opted for the radical move of ‘hypothermic cardiac arrest’—chilling her body to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, stopping her heart, and draining the blood from her head.
cardiac glucoside n. now rare = cardiac glycoside n.
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the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > preparations for treating specific parts > [noun] > for the heart > plant-derived
digitalis1785
kombé1859
strophanthin1873
cardiac glucoside1885
strophanthidin1888
coronillin1897
strophanthus1899
digoxin1930
cardiac glycoside1931
1885 Dublin Exam. Papers: Suppl. to Univ. Cal. (Univ. of Dublin) 245 Define the term Glucoside. Give examples of—(a) purgative; (b) expectorant; (c) cardiac glucosides.
1927 Jrnl. Biol. Chem. 74 787 (heading) The relationship between the structure and the biological action of the cardiac glucosides.
2002 P. W. Price in C. M. Herrera & O. Pellmyr Plant–Animal Interactions i. 9/1 And herbivores ingesting toxic compounds to which they are adapted, such as nicotine from tobacco or cardiac glucosides from milkweeds, may well become toxic to enemies.
cardiac glycoside n. any of a group of steroid glycosides of plant origin that can be used medicinally to increase contractility and reduce conductivity in the heart, but are potentially toxic.The best known of these glycosides are digitoxin, digoxin, ouabain, and strophanthin.
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the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > preparations for treating specific parts > [noun] > for the heart > plant-derived
digitalis1785
kombé1859
strophanthin1873
cardiac glucoside1885
strophanthidin1888
coronillin1897
strophanthus1899
digoxin1930
cardiac glycoside1931
1931 E. F. Armstrong & K. F. Armstrong Glycosides iv. 51 The cardiac glycosides from Digitalis and Strophanthus species yield C23 and C24 aglucones.
1983 D. J. Weatherall et al. Oxf. Textbk. Med. II. xiii. 61/1 Many patients on maintenance cardiac glycosides do not require them, and in view of their potential danger the need for continued treatment should be reviewed frequently.
2018 E. A. Dauncey & S. Larsson Plants that Kill iii. 54 Plants that contain cardiac glycosides are found around the world in both temperate and tropical climates.
cardiac massage n. rhythmical compression of the heart (either with the chest opened surgically, or by pressure on the chest wall), performed to maintain circulation after cardiac arrest. [Compare German Herzmassage (1894 or earlier).]
ΚΠ
1901 Lancet 13 Apr. 1092/1 Prus's cardiac massage was then decided upon.
1994 Independent on Sunday 27 Feb. (Review Suppl.) 32/1 Thoracotomy and cardiac massage did not save his patient.
2015 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 2 Aug. 18/2 Cardiac massage evolved into CPR when Dr. Jude and his team collaborated with doctors..who had been working on pulmonary resuscitation.
cardiac muscle n. the myocardium (muscle tissue of the heart); (also) the type of muscle tissue of which this is composed, consisting of a network of striated muscle cells linked by specialized junctions (contrasted with skeletal muscle, smooth muscle).
ΚΠ
1846 W. E. Swaine tr. K. E. Hasse Anat. Descr. Dis. Organs Circulation & Respiration i. v. 121 Purulent infiltration of the cardiac muscle [Ger. Herzmuskels], or yellow and grayish softening.
1937 L. V. Heilbrunn Outl. Gen. Physiol. xxxvi. 415 In skeletal muscle, the refractory period is much shorter than in cardiac muscle.
2015 Wall St. Jrnl. 24 Jan. c4/1 Scientists already have used human cells to grow contracting versions of..smooth muscle..and cardiac muscle.
cardiac output n. the quantity of blood pumped by the heart in a given period of time (typically measured in litres per minute).
ΚΠ
1894 G. W. Balfour Senile Heart vi. 141 Even when the cardiac output is greatly diminished, the blood pressure does not fall pari passu.
1951 A. Grollman Pharmacol. & Therapeutics xi. 205 Norepinephrine is a vasoconstrictor and unlike epinephrine does not decrease the peripheral resistance or increase the cardiac output.
2020 Racing Post (Nexis) 14 Dec. 5 This [sc. atrial fibrillation] results in a reduction in cardiac output.
cardiac passion n. now historical and rare (a) a disorder characterized by symptoms attributed to the heart, esp. palpitations and syncope; (b) heartburn (cf. cardialgia n.). [After post-classical Latin cardiaca passio (5th cent.); compare Hellenistic Greek καρδιακὸς πάθος, and Middle French cardiaque passion (14th cent.).]
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > digestive disorders > [noun] > indigestion
cardiac passiona1398
rawnessa1398
heartburnc1440
rawhead1440
heart-burningc1450
undigestionc1450
indigestion1495
crudeness1541
crudity1541
bradypepsy1605
predigestion1612
heart-scald1628
indigestiblenessa1631
dyspepsy1656
unconcoction1662
apepsy1678
incoction1684
soda1693
dyspepsia1706
cardialgia1710
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of heart > [noun] > palpitation or tachycardia
cardiaclea1398
cardiac passiona1398
cardiaca?a1425
palpitation?a1425
cardiacc1435
heart-quake1561
heart-qualm1590
overbeating1819
tachycardia1889
heart hurry1890
torsade de pointes1967
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. xxxiii. 930 Þe firste [Cardimomum] is cleped þe bettre..and helpeþ þerfore aȝens þe cardiac passioun [L. cardiacam passionem].
1526 Grete Herball xlix. sig. J.5v/2 Agaynst cardyake passyon and epylence choppe epithyme, and lay on the mylt and it wyll soften it.
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xxiii. i. 153 The Cardiacke passion [L. cardiacis], which is a feeblenesse and trembling of the heart.
1810 Encycl. Brit. V. 177 Cardialgia..better known by the name of cardiac passion, or heartburn.
1970 J. O. Leibowitz Hist. Coronary Heart Dis. ii. 37 When we examine closely the long chapter on ‘The Cardiac Passion’, we meet with a multitude of signs and symptoms.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2021; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.n.a1398