cardiac

American  

[kahr-dee-ak] / ˈkɑr diˌæk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the heart.

   cardiac disease.

2. of or relating to the esophageal portion of the stomach.

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noun

1. Medicine/Medical. a cardiac remedy.

2. a person with heart disease.

cardiac British  

/ ˈkɑːdɪˌæk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the heart

2. of or relating to the portion of the stomach connected to the oesophagus

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noun

1. a person with a heart disorder

2. obsolete a drug that stimulates the heart muscle

cardiac Scientific  

/ kär′dē-ăk′ /

1. Relating to or involving the heart.

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Other Word Forms

• postcardiac adjective
• precardiac adjective

Etymology

Origin of cardiac

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English or directly from Middle French cardiaque, from Latin cardiacus, from Greek kardiakós, equivalent to kardí(a) heart + -akos -ac

Example Sentences

Harnessing happenstance has led to inventions that have changed the world—from extending the lives of cardiac patients to overhauling how humans eat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

That morning, she was in full cardiac arrest.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

“It’s just getting back to where it was before the incident,” LeBron said Friday, referencing Bronny’s cardiac arrest caused by a congenital heart defect on July 24, 2023.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

In 2017, he recovered from two cardiac arrests, then became mired in controversy two years later when he became the public face of arms company Glock, despite an epidemic of gun violence in the US.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Chance of cardiac arrest; be better, he reflected, if I lived in town where those buildings have a doctor standing by with those electro-spark machines.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick