Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
pericardial sac

pericardial sac

1 6.7
A thin bag with two layers that surrounds and protects the heart
  • noun
  • /ˌpɛrɪˈkɑrdɪəl sæk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : saco pericárdico
  • The pericardial sac protects the heart from physical shocks and infections.

Examples

  • During the operation, the surgeon carefully examined the pericardial sac for any signs of damage.

  • [Beck] Okay, pericardial sac is... sealed up.

    Stalked by My Doctor (2015)

  • No, the blood is in the pericardial sac.

    Doctor Strange (2016)

  • Just the blood sample from the pericardial sac.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The size of echo-free space depends on the amount of fluid in the pericardial sac.

    Academic text (2016)

  • An inflammation of the pericardial sac can lead to chest pain and difficulty breathing.

Synonyms

pericardium
vspericardial sac
  • Specialized
7 8.1

A thin covering of two layers that surrounds and protects the heart

is the same meaning but appears as a descriptive phrase not a single word
pericardial cavity
vspericardial sac
  • Specialized
5.8

A small space filled with fluid between the layers around the heart that lets it move smoothly

is the enclosing structure around the heart rather than the inner space

Surface Forms

pericardial sac singular
pericardial sacs plural

Morphology

pericardial + sac

The compound is fully compositional: 'pericardial' means relating to the membrane around the heart and 'sac' denotes a membranous fluid-containing structure, so together they literally describe the membranous sac surrounding the heart. While the term is technical, the meaning follows standard anatomical noun‑noun/adj‑noun composition and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Pericardial sac comes from parts that mean peri- 'around' and cardial 'heart', and the word sac is like a bag. So imagine a bag wrapped around the heart — that's why the term names the protective sac that surrounds the heart.