atrioventricular
|a-tri-o-ven-tri-cu-lar|
🇺🇸
/ˌeɪtri.oʊvɛnˈtrɪkjələr/
🇬🇧
/ˌeɪtri.əʊvɛnˈtrɪkjʊlə/
relating the atrium(s) and ventricle(s)
Etymology
'atrioventricular' originates from New Latin, combining the Latin words 'atrium' and 'ventriculus', where 'atrium' meant 'entrance hall' and 'ventriculus' meant 'little belly' or 'chamber'.
'atrioventricular' was formed from New Latin 'atrioventricularis' (a compound of 'atrium' + 'ventriculus' + adjectival suffix) and entered modern medical English usage in the 19th–20th century as terminology for structures relating to the atria and ventricles.
Initially it literally meant 'pertaining to the atrium and the ventricle'; over time the term retained this core sense and came to be used specifically in cardiology to describe anatomical structures and conduction relations between atria and ventricles.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to both an atrium (upper chamber) and a ventricle (lower chamber) of the heart; between or involving the atria and ventricles.
The electrocardiogram showed signs of an atrioventricular conduction delay.
Synonyms
Adjective 2
pertaining to the atrioventricular node or the atrioventricular conduction system that transmits impulses between the atria and ventricles.
An atrioventricular block can interrupt signals in the atrioventricular conduction pathway.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/13 22:04