defibrillator

American

[dee-fahy-bruh-ley-ter, -fib-ruh-] / diˈfaɪ brəˌleɪ tər, -ˈfɪb rə- /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

an agent or device for arresting fibrillation of the atrial or ventricular muscles of the heart.

defibrillator British

/ dɪˈfaɪbrɪˌleɪtə, -ˈfɪb- /

noun

med an apparatus for stopping fibrillation of the heart by application of an electric current to the chest wall or directly to the heart

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of defibrillator

First recorded in 1955–60; de- + fibrill(ation) + -ator

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The train stopped in Reading where station staff rushed a defibrillator on board for the mystery GP to use.

From BBC

Doctors told Ray J — real name William Ray Norwood Jr. — that he should prepare for the chance that he might need a pacemaker or defibrillator soon, the singer told the celebrity site.

From Los Angeles Times

They are trained to administer oxygen therapy and CPR, as well as the use of a defibrillator.

From BBC

Mayo Clinic cardiologist Paul A. Friedman turned to ChatGPT when he needed to weigh in on the case of a patient who needed a defibrillator implantation a few days after having heart surgery.

From The Wall Street Journal

An electrician for 14 years, Dale had only installed a rented defibrillator after hearing about them on an advanced first aid course.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023