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Glite Dictionary
artificial pacemaker

artificial pacemaker

3.9
A small electronic device placed under the skin that keeps the heart beating steadily
  • noun
  • /ˌɑːrtɪˈfɪʃəl ˈpeɪkˌmeɪkər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : marcapasos artificial
  • After his surgery, an artificial pacemaker was implanted to help regulate his heartbeat.

Examples

  • Doctors recommended an artificial pacemaker for the patient with a dangerously slow heart rate.

  • Many elderly patients rely on an artificial pacemaker to maintain a steady heart rhythm.

  • The doctor implanted an artificial pacemaker in her heart.

  • He received an artificial pacemaker last year.

  • After his surgery, an artificial pacemaker was implanted to help regulate his heartbeat.

  • Doctors recommended an artificial pacemaker for the patient with a dangerously slow heart rate.

  • Many elderly patients rely on an artificial pacemaker to maintain a steady heart rhythm.

Synonyms

pacemaker
vsartificial pacemaker
  • Specialized
43 3.8

A small device put in the body that keeps the heart beating regularly

is used when the body's own rhythm source fails

Surface Forms

artificial pacemaker singular
artificial pacemakers plural

Morphology

artificial + pacemaker

The meaning is directly compositional: 'artificial' (man-made) modifies 'pacemaker' (a device that regulates the heart), yielding 'a man-made device that regulates the heartbeat.' There is no idiomatic shift or metaphorical extension and similar formations exist in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.

Etymology

Artificial pacemaker comes from the idea of a pacemaker in races, a runner who sets the 'pace' for others. The device is a 'made by people' artificial machine that makes the heart keep a steady 'pace', so it is called an artificial pacemaker.