defibrillator

D2E1F4I1B3R1I1L1L1A1T1O1R1
UK/diːˈfɪbɹɪˌleɪtə(ɹ)/

noun

An electronic device used internally or externally that delivers a controlled electric shock to a patient to correct ventricular fibrillation, a lack of coordination of the contraction of muscle tissue of the large chambers of the heart.

Less commonScrabble 19
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

noundefibrillator (plural defibrillators)

plural defibrillators

  1. cardiologyAn electronic device used internally or externally that delivers a controlled electric shock to a patient to correct ventricular fibrillation, a lack of coordination of the contraction of muscle tissue of the large chambers of the heart.

    High intensity EMF can have adverse impacts on the operation of implantable medical devices (IMDs) such as pacemakers and defibrillators.

    2024 August 19, “LAKETOWN 115-kV TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT IN CARVER COUNTY, MN”, in Great River Energy, page 73
    1 more example

    Two deaths have been linked to St. Jude Medical heart defibrillators with batteries that failed. […] Losing battery in a defibrillator could mean the failure of pacing heartbeats or delivering shocks, a potentially deadly consequence for cardiac patients.

    2016 October 11, Hailey Middlebrook, “After 2 deaths, patients warned about heart defibrillators’ failed batteries”, in CNN

Origin

From defibrillate + -or.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُزِيلُ رَجَفَان
  • مُزِيلُ رَجَفَان (muzīlu rajafān)device
Catalan desfibril·lador
  • desfibril·ladordevice
Chinese Mandarin 除顫器 /除颤器, 去顫器 /去颤器
  • 除顫器 /除颤器 (chúchànqì)device
  • 去顫器 /去颤器 (qùchànqì)device
Czech defibrilátor
  • defibrilátordevice
Danish hjertestarter
  • hjertestarterdevice
Finnish sydäniskuri, defibrillaattori
  • sydäniskuridevice
  • defibrillaattoridevice
French défibrillateur
  • défibrillateurdevice
German Defibrillator
  • Defibrillatordevice
Greek απινιδωτής
  • απινιδωτής (apinidotís)device
Hebrew דֵּפִיבְּרִילָטוֹר
  • דֵּפִיבְּרִילָטוֹר (defibrilátor)device
Hungarian defibrillátor
  • defibrillátordevice
Icelandic hjartastillir
  • hjartastillirdevice
Indonesian defibrilator
  • defibrilatordevice
Irish dífhibrileoir
  • dífhibrileoirdevice
Italian defibrillatore
  • defibrillatoredevice
Japanese 除細動器
  • 除細動器 (josaidōki)device
Korean 제세동기
  • 제세동기 (jesedonggi)device
Polish defibrylator, pastuch
  • defibrylatordevice
  • pastuchdevice
Portuguese desfibrilador
  • desfibriladordevice
Romanian defibrilator
  • defibrilatordevice
Russian дефибрилля́тор
  • дефибрилля́тор (defibrilljátor)device
Slovak defibrilátor
  • defibrilátordevice
Spanish desfibrilador
  • desfibriladordevice
Swedish hjärtstartare
  • hjärtstartaredevice
Turkish defibrilatör
  • defibrilatördevice
Ukrainian дефібрилятор
  • дефібрилятор (defibryljator)device
Cite this entry
APA

defibrillator. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defibrillator

MLA

“defibrillator.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defibrillator. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “defibrillator,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defibrillator.

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