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, into

+bolGreekto throw

+ismGreekaction or process

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.