flatline
/ˈflætˌlaɪn/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.35 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An asystole; the absence of heart contractions or brain waves.
noun
An asystole; the absence of heart contractions or brain waves.
Example Sentences
- "When brain function ceases, the electroencephalogram shows flatline recordings."
- "Thus, you hear words like "flatline recession," "improvement at a greatly reduced rate," "economic hiccup," "recessionette," "rolling readjustment" and "the economy is double clutching.""
- "If looks could kill, Mona's sharp gaze would have flatlined him in one second."
- "After all she'd been through, she needed sleep and food to heal, not endure a lovemaking session that was so passionate that it had pretty much flatlined him as well."
- "The economy in Northern Ireland is flatlining and jobs are scarce."
- "But passenger numbers have since recovered to only 85% of pre-March 2020 levels, and growth has flatlined."
Etymology
From flat + line. Refers to a continuous straight line (asystole) on an ECG (EKG) or EEG, indicating death.