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Glite Dictionary
atrioventricular valve

atrioventricular valve

5.4
A valve between an upper and lower heart chamber that lets blood flow one way
  • noun
  • /ˌeɪtriəʊvɛnˈtrɪkjʊlər vælv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : válvula auriculoventricular
  • Surgery was required to repair his faulty atrioventricular valve.

Examples

  • Damage to the atrioventricular valve can disrupt normal blood flow in the heart.

  • The atrioventricular valve prevents blood from flowing back into the atrium.

  • The doctor explained how the atrioventricular valve prevents blood from leaking back into the atrium.

  • Can you explain the function of the atrioventricular valve?

  • The atrioventricular valve ensures that blood flows from the atrium to the ventricle without backflow.

  • During the heart surgery, the doctor explained how the atrioventricular valve regulates blood flow.

  • A malfunctioning atrioventricular valve can lead to serious heart conditions if not treated.

Synonyms

heart valve
vsatrioventricular valve
  • Specialized
2 3.5

A flap in the heart that lets blood flow one way and stops it flowing back

is located between an atrium and a ventricle rather than elsewhere in the pump
cardiac valve
vsatrioventricular valve
  • Specialized
4.3

A valve in the heart that makes blood flow one way between chambers and major vessels

is only for structures between an atrium and a ventricle, not at vessels

Surface Forms

atrioventricular valve singular
atrioventricular valves plural

Morphology

atrioventricular + valve

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from 'atrioventricular' (relating to the atria and ventricles) combined with 'valve' (a flow-control device): it denotes a valve associated with the atrium–ventricle region that controls blood flow and prevents backflow. This is a regular biomedical compound with clear compositional logic and cross-linguistic parallels, so a learner who knows the constituent words would be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun atrioventricular valve names a small gate between the heart's upper and lower chambers: atrioventricular links atrium, the upper chamber, and ventricle, the lower chamber, and valve means a gate. This gate lets blood move from the upper chamber to the lower one but stops it going back, so the name helps you remember it 'lets blood flow one way'.