rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: en-
Greek

en-

in, within

Forms

  • en-
  • em- — Used before b, m, or p in Greek compounds.
  • el- — Used before l in Greek compounds.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *en, ‘in.’

Note

Related to Latin in-, but borrowed through a separate Greek route.

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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.