systolic

[ si-stol-ik ]

adjective

1. (of blood pressure) indicating the maximum arterial pressure occurring during contraction of the left ventricle of the heart.

Other Words From

• hyper·sys·tolic adjective
• postsys·tolic adjective
• presys·tolic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of systolic¹

First recorded in 1685–95; systole + -ic

Example Sentences

As a Harvard undergraduate, he used systolic blood pressure readings to invent the lie detector test.

From The Daily Beast

There was a systolic murmur present and a slight impairment of the upper lobe of the right lung.

From Project Gutenberg

The heart is often dilated, and on auscultation the systolic murmurs associated with that condition are heard.

From Project Gutenberg

To begin with negative facts: a mitral pre-systolic murmur is never significant of a degenerative lesion.

From Project Gutenberg

It is pulsatile, and a systolic bruit or a “thrilling” murmur may be heard over it.

From Project Gutenberg

On palpation a systolic thrill may be detected, but the presence of a murmur is neither constant nor characteristic.

From Project Gutenberg