Meanings
plural embolisms
- medicineAn obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus, that is by a blood clot, air bubble or other matter that has been transported by the blood stream.
- The insertion or intercalation of days into the calendar in order to correct the error arising from the difference between the civil year and the solar year.
Authorities differ as to the manner in which the Arabs practised embolism: some say, they added a month to every third year; others, that they intercalated seven months in a period of nineteen years ; and others, nine months in twenty-four years.
1844, The Asiatic journal and monthly miscellany, volume 2 - ChristianityAn intercalated prayer for deliverance from evil coming after the Lord's Prayer.
- CatholicismThe variable body of a liturgical preface, between the protocol and eschatocol, typically stating the motive for worship on a given day.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐμβολισμός“intercalary”
- Late Latinembolismus
- Old Frenchembolisme“intercalation of days in a calendar to correct errors”
- Englishembolism
The term was coined in 1848 by Rudolf Virchow. From Old French embolisme (“intercalation of days in a calendar to correct errors”), from Late Latin embolismus, from Ancient Greek ἐμβολισμός (embolismós, “intercalary”), from ἐμβάλλω (embállō, “to insert, throw in”).
More words from Old French, Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans embolisme
- embolismeobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Bulgarian емболия
- емболия (embolija)obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Catalan embòlia, embolisme
- embòliaobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
- embolismeinsertion of leap days into the calendar year
Chinese Mandarin 栓塞
- 栓塞 (shuānsè)obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Czech embolie
- embolieobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Danish emboli
- emboliobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Dutch embolie
- embolieobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Esperanto embolio
- embolioobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Finnish embolia
- emboliaobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
French embolie, embolisme
- embolieobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
- embolismeinsertion of leap days into the calendar year
German Embolie
- Embolieobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Greek εμβολή, εμβολισμός
- εμβολή (emvolí)obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
- εμβολισμός (emvolismós)obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Hungarian embólia
- embóliaobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Icelandic blóðrek
- blóðrekobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Indonesian emboli
- emboliobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Irish eambólacht
- eambólachtobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Italian embolia
- emboliaobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Japanese 塞栓
- 塞栓 (sokusen)obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Korean 색전증
- 색전증 (saekjeonjeung)obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Lithuanian embolija
- embolijaobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Malay embolik
- embolikobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Polish zator
- zatorobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Portuguese embolia
- emboliaobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Russian эмболи́я
- эмболи́я (embolíja)obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Slovak embólia
- embóliaobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Spanish embolia, embolismo
- emboliaobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
- embolismoinsertion of leap days into the calendar year
Swedish emboli
- emboliobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Turkish embolizm
- embolizmobstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus
Cite this entry
embolism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embolism
“embolism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embolism. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “embolism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embolism.
Source: embolism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.