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DictionaryRoot: peri-
Greek

peri-

around

Forms

  • peri-

Origin

Greek peri, ‘around,’ related to reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *per-, ‘forward; beyond.’

Note

Around can describe an enclosing boundary or a route that avoids a direct approach.

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Accurate medical cutaway shows thin translucent pericardial sac surrounding anatomical heart, sac pulled slightly away to distinguish layers with narrow fluid space, no text.
noun

pericardium

pair-ee-KAR-dee-um/ˌperiˈkɑːrdiəm/

The thin sac of tissue surrounding the heart.

Etymology
periGreekaround
+cardiumGreekheart

The pieces mean 'around the heart,' naming the sac by its position. The Greek ancestor already referred to the surrounding membrane, so the anatomical meaning preserves that original description.

Full entry

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