rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: ballein
Greek

ballein

throw or cast

Forms

  • ballein
  • ball- — The form retained in some derivatives.
  • bol- — A changed form used in other formations.
  • blē- — Another changed form found in related Greek words.

Origin

From an old Indo-European family associated with throwing or striking.

Note

Throwing can describe physical movement or putting an idea forward.

4 / 8
noun

embolism

EM-buh-liz-um/ˈembəlɪzəm/

Blockage of a blood vessel by a clot or other material carried through the bloodstream.

A pulmonary embolism blocks blood flow to the lungs.

A close longitudinal cutaway of a blood vessel shows a dark-red clot lodged at a narrowing, plugging the lumen, with red blood cells crowded upstream and almost none downstream.
Etymology
emGreekin, within
+bolGreekthrow or cast
+ismGreekan action, practice, or system

The pieces suggest “throwing in,” behind a Greek word for a peg or stopper thrust into something. The medical meaning applies that stopper image to material blocking a blood vessel.

In context

American Society of Hematology0:13
Complications occur when a clot breaks off and travels through the circulation system. When it reaches a blood vessel it cannot flow through, a blockage occurs. This is called an embolism.
How a Clot Can Become a Pulmonary Embolism

More examples

  • Air bubbles entering the bloodstream can cause an embolism.
  • Doctors check for an embolism when sudden chest pain develops.
  • Blood thinners help prevent embolisms caused by blood clots.

Forms

embolism · embolisms

embolus noun — Traveling material that blocks a blood vessel.

embolic adjective — Relating to or caused by an embolism.

Similar words

occlusion
Means closure or blockage, not necessarily by traveling material.
obstruction
Covers blockages generally, not just those in blood vessels.