infarct

/in'fɑ:kt/

Friendly

Word: Infarct

Part of Speech: Noun

Basic Definition: An "infarct" is a specific area of tissue in the body that has died because it is not getting enough blood. This usually happens because something is blocking the blood supply to that area.

Usage Instructions:

• The word "infarct" is often used in medical contexts, particularly when discussing health issues related to the heart or brain.
• It is usually used in the singular form, but you can also use the plural form "infarcts" when referring to more than one area of tissue.

Example Sentence:

• "The doctor explained that the patient had an infarct in the heart, which caused some of the heart tissue to die."

Advanced Usage:

• In medical discussions, you might hear phrases like "myocardial infarct," which specifically refers to an infarct in the heart muscle, commonly known as a heart attack.
• Another example is "cerebral infarct," which refers to an area of dead tissue in the brain, often due to a stroke.

Word Variants:

• Infarction (noun): This refers to the process of tissue death due to lack of blood supply. For example, "The infarction led to serious complications."
• Infarcted (adjective): This describes tissue that has undergone infarction. For example, "The infarcted area of the heart was identified during the examination."

Different Meaning:

• While "infarct" primarily has a medical meaning, it does not have significant alternative meanings outside of this context.

Synonyms:

• Necrosis (general term for tissue death)
• Infarction (the process leading to an infarct)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "infarct," as it is a specialized medical term.

Summary:

To sum up, "infarct" is a medical term that describes an area of dead tissue due to a lack of blood supply.

Academic

Noun

1. localized necrosis resulting from obstruction of the blood supply

Synonyms

• infarction