material, such as part of a blood clot or an air bubble, that is transported by the blood stream until it becomes lodged within a small vessel and impedes the circulation
Compare thrombus
Word origin
C17: via Latin from Greek embolos stopper, from emballein to insert, from ballein to throw; see emblem
embolus in American English
(ˈɛmbələs)
nounWord forms: pluralˈemboˈli (ˈɛmbəˈlaɪ)
any foreign matter, as a blood clot or air bubble, carried in the bloodstream and capable of causing an embolism
Word origin
ModL < Gr embolos, anything put in, wedge < emballein < en-, in + ballein, to throw: see ball2
Examples of 'embolus' in a sentence
embolus
The mindless embolus that had claimed Elisabeth's brain seemed almost humane by comparison.