Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

embolus

/ˈɛmbələs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.84 in modern English

Syllables: em-bo-lus
IPA: /ˈɛmbələs/

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot, air bubble or other matter carried by the bloodstream and causing a blockage or occlusion of a blood vessel.

noun

The structure on the end of the palp of male arachnids which contains the opening to the ejaculatory duct.

Example Sentences

"Those spiders with a simple bulb insert most of this; those with a complex palp insert only the embolus, which in some species is very long […]"

Etymology

The term was coined in 1848 by Rudolf Virchow From Latin embolus (“piston”), from Ancient Greek ἔμβολος (émbolos, “peg, stopper”).

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: embolus, ἔμβολος

Inflected Forms

emboli (plural) emboluses (plural)

Derived Forms

atheroembolus embolic embolism macroembolus microembolus thromboembolus

Phrases

embolo-

Frequently Paired Words

embolon thrombus

Questions

How do you pronounce embolus?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɛmbələs/.
What does embolus mean?: An obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot, air bubble or other matter carried by the bloodstream and causing a blockage or occlusion of a blood vessel.
Where does embolus come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce embolus

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “embolus”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɛmbələs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “embolus”.
Repeat and practice — Say “embolus” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.