thoracic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonthoracic adjective
- postthoracic adjective
- prethoracic adjective
- subthoracal adjective
- subthoracic adjective
- transthoracic adjective
Etymology
Origin of thoracic
1650–60; < Medieval Latin thōrācicus < Greek thōrākikós. See thorac-, -ic
Explanation
Thoracic is a medical word for things pertaining to the thorax area of your body: your chest. You’re likely to see the word thoracic in biology class. The thorax is your chest: the area between your neck and abdomen. Therefore, this area is the thoracic region, and that word can be used for issues dealing with this area. Certain exercises are thoracic because they strengthen your chest muscles. Your pectoral muscles are in the thoracic area. Your heart is the most important part of the thoracic area. If you have thoracic pains, you should see a doctor.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"He was critically ill. His heart stopped as soon as he arrived. We had to perform CPR," said lead author Ankit Bharat, a thoracic surgeon at Northwestern University.
From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2026
His ERA had been over 5.00 in three of the previous four years, so potential suitors must determine whether he is truly a new pitcher after healing from 2023 surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025
It was almost ordinary, like watching a woman perform thoracic surgery, or change a tire, or drive a car.
From Slate • Aug. 23, 2024
He had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve and blood disorder that led to the removal of a rib and two neck muscles.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 7, 2024
How, for instance, does a wing-making master gene “know” to build a wing in the second thoracic segment, and not, say, the first or third segment?
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
