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Glite Dictionary
cardiac murmur

cardiac murmur

4.9
An unusual sound during a heartbeat that may show a problem with heart valves or blood flow
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑrdɪæk ˈmɜrmər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : murmur cardíaco
  • During her check-up, the doctor detected a cardiac murmur that raised concerns about her heart health.

Examples

  • The discovery of a new cardiac murmur prompted a follow-up chest X-ray, which revealed a widening cardiac silhouette.

    Academic text (1998)

  • On the contrary, straight back syndrome usually comes to attention due to cardiac murmurs.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The straight back syndrome, consisting of loss of normal upper thoracic spinal curvature associated with cardiac murmurs, which was previously considered a form of 'pseudo heart disease,' has been attributed to squashing of the heart in the reduced anteroposterior diameter of the chest.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The pediatrician explained that a cardiac murmur can sometimes occur in children and may not indicate a serious issue.

  • After hearing the cardiac murmur during the examination, the nurse recommended further tests to assess the patient's heart function.

Synonyms

murmur
vscardiac murmur
  • Specialized
12 6.9

A soft, unusual sound heard when the heart beats that may show a problem with valves or blood flow

is more specific clinical term referring to the organ that pumps blood
heart murmur
vscardiac murmur
  • Specialized
5 3.9

An unusual sound during a heartbeat that may show a problem with the valves in the heart

is the clinical phrase that may also stress blood flow issues
systolic murmur
vscardiac murmur
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A soft sound the heart makes when it squeezes

is a general abnormal heartbeat sound not limited to one phase

Antonyms

heartbeat
123 2.3

The regular movement or sound of the heart as it pumps blood

Surface Forms

cardiac murmur singular
cardiac murmurs plural

Morphology

cardiac + murmur

Both constituents are semantically transparent: 'cardiac' means related to the heart and 'murmur' denotes a low/abnormal sound; together they straightforwardly denote an abnormal heart sound. This is a predictable compositional meaning (and mirrors equivalent terms in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Cardiac murmur comes from cardiac (the heart) and murmur (a soft 'whisper' or strange 'sound'). Doctors picture the heart making a quiet, unusual noise when blood moves oddly, so cardiac murmur now means 'an abnormal sound during a heartbeat' that can show a problem with 'heart valves' or 'blood flow'.