ballistocardiograph

noun

An instrument which measures ballistic forces on the heart, producing a graphical representation of repetitive motions of the human body arising from the sudden ejection of blood into the great vessels with each heartbeat.

Similar
cardiograph
OriginEnglish cardiograph ← Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) ← Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō →
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Meanings

nounballistocardiograph (plural ballistocardiographs)

plural ballistocardiographs

  1. An instrument which measures ballistic forces on the heart, producing a graphical representation of repetitive motions of the human body arising from the sudden ejection of blood into the great vessels with each heartbeat.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna medical instrument that measures the mechanical force of cardiac contractions and the amount of blood passing through the heart during a specified period by measuring the recoil of the body as blood is pumped from the ventricles

Similar
cardiograph
Broader
medical instrument
Also see
cardiograph

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷelH-
  2. Proto-Hellenic*gʷəlnō
  3. Ancient Greekβᾰ́λλω (bắllō)
  4. Ancient Greekβαλλίστρᾱ (ballístrā)
  5. Classical Latinballista
  6. New Latinballisticu
  7. Englishballistic
  8. Englishballisto-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*ḱerd-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*ḱḗr
  11. Proto-Indo-European*ḱr̥díyeh₂
  12. Proto-Hellenic*kərdíyā
  13. Ancient Greekκαρδία (kardía)
  14. Englishcardio-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*gerbʰ-
  16. Proto-Hellenic*grə́pʰō
  17. Ancient Greekγράφω (gráphō)
  18. Englishcardiograph
  19. Englishballistocardiograph

From ballisto- + cardiograph.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish balistokardiograf
  • balistokardiografTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

ballistocardiograph. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballistocardiograph

MLA

“ballistocardiograph.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballistocardiograph. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ballistocardiograph,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballistocardiograph.

Source: ballistocardiograph on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.