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Glite Dictionary
cardiac pacemaker

cardiac pacemaker

1 4.4
A small part of the heart that makes electrical signals to control the heartbeat
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑrdɪæk ˈpeɪkˌmeɪkər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : marcapasos cardíaco
  • After his heart surgery, he was given a cardiac pacemaker to maintain a steady rhythm.
  • cardiac pacemaker implanted
  • implantable cardiac pacemaker

Examples

  • Patients with arrhythmias often require a cardiac pacemaker to prevent irregular heartbeats.

  • - Does he have a cardiac pacemaker?

    The One (2001)

  • Greatbatch is best known for his invention of the implantable cardiac pacemaker.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Recently, a manufacturer of implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators came to Hudson Medical Products seeking relief for a complex assembly operation.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The doctor explained that the cardiac pacemaker would help regulate her heartbeat effectively.

Synonyms

pacemaker
vscardiac pacemaker
  • Specialized
3 4.2

Cells in the heart that make electrical signals to control the heartbeat

is a broader term for any tissue area that controls the heartbeat rhythm
sinoatrial node
vscardiac pacemaker
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A small group of cells in the heart's right upper chamber that makes the heartbeat regular

is the general regional term for specialized tissue regulating heartbeat impulses
SA node
vscardiac pacemaker
  • Specialized
5.5

A small group of cells in the upper right part of the heart that starts and controls the heartbeat

is the full general term for tissue that generates and regulates heart impulses

Surface Forms

cardiac pacemaker singular
cardiac pacemakers plural

Morphology

cardiac + pacemaker

The meaning is directly compositional: 'cardiac' means heart-related and 'pacemaker' refers to the structure that generates rhythmic impulses, so together they denote the heart's pacing tissue. This modifier+noun pattern is common and mirrored across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Cardiac pacemaker combines cardiac (about the heart) and pacemaker (someone or something that 'sets the pace'). Think of a person clapping at the front of a group to keep everyone in step; the heart's pacemaker sends small electrical signals that keep the heart's 'beat' regular, so the phrase means 'the part that controls the heartbeat'.