Dictionary

defibrillate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /diːˈfɪbɹɪleɪt/ (UK)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English fibrillate English defibrillate From de- + fibrillate.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To stop the fibrillation of the heart in order to restore normal contractions, especially by the use of an electric shock.
   • Dynamic typography reinvigorates the storytelling genre by anthropomorphizing fonts, defibrillating calligraphy, creating rhythmic, ambient moodscapes without sacrificing speed or lushness. 1999, Artbyte, volume 2:
   • Though occasionally a “flatliner” can be revived with a defib, it is most commonly used to change the uncoordinated contractions of the heart (fibrillation) into a normal sinus rhythm—that is, to defibrillate the heart. 2011, Laurence Street, Introduction to Biomedical Engineering Technology, page 125:
   • The former sex addict turned exuberant Christian influencer Russell Brand showed up in a leopard-print cardigan to offer a rare note of empathy, saying the stunt was an attempt to “defibrillate divinity down here on the lower levels.” 2024 December 18, Helen Lewis, quoting Russell Brand, “The Outrage Over 100 Men Only Goes So Far”, in The Atlantic:

Forms

Coordinates

cardiovert

Deriveds

defibrillator

Translations (8)

cmn 去顫 /去颤 (to stop cardiac fibrillation) · fi defibrilloida (to stop cardiac fibrillation) · cmn 除顫 /除颤 (to stop cardiac fibrillation) · fr défibriller (to stop cardiac fibrillation) · de defibrillieren (to stop cardiac fibrillation) · ro defibrila (to stop cardiac fibrillation) · ru дефибрилли́ровать (to stop cardiac fibrillation) · cy diffibrilio (to stop cardiac fibrillation)