embolus

E1M3B3O1L1U1S1
/ˈɛmbələs/

noun

An obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot, air bubble or other matter carried by the bloodstream and causing a blockage or occlusion of a blood vessel.

OriginLatin embolus ← Ancient Greek ἔμβολος →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounembolus (plural emboli or emboluses)

plural emboli · plural emboluses

  1. medicineAn obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot, air bubble or other matter carried by the bloodstream and causing a blockage or occlusion of a blood vessel.
  2. biologyThe structure on the end of the palp of male arachnids which contains the opening to the ejaculatory duct.

    Those spiders with a simple bulb insert most of this; those with a complex palp insert only the embolus, which in some species is very long […]

    1996, Michael J Roberts, Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe, Collins, published 1996, page 22

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἔμβολος“peg, stopper”
  2. Latinembolus“piston”
  3. Englishembolus

The term was coined in 1848 by Rudolf Virchow From Latin embolus (“piston”), from Ancient Greek ἔμβολος (émbolos, “peg, stopper”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian тромб
  • тромб (tromb)an obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Catalan èmbol
  • èmbolan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Chinese Mandarin 栓子
  • 栓子 (shuānzi)an obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Czech embolus, vmetek
  • embolusan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
  • vmetekan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Finnish veritulppa, embolus
  • veritulppaan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
  • embolusan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
French embole
  • embolean obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Hungarian érrög, vérrög
  • érrögan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
  • vérrögan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
  • érdugóan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
  • embólusan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Icelandic blóðreki
  • blóðrekian obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Indonesian embolus
  • embolusan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Italian stantuffo
  • stantuffoan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Spanish émbolo
  • émboloan obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Swedish emboli
  • embolian obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot
Cite this entry
APA

embolus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embolus

MLA

“embolus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embolus. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “embolus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embolus.

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