Electrocardiogram
/ɪˌlɛk.troʊˈkɑːr.di.ə.ɡræm/noun
A graphical recording of the heart’s electrical activity over time.
Did you know?The electrical sense of “electro-” ultimately comes from Greek ēlektron, “amber,” because ancient observers noticed rubbed amber could attract light objects.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kerd-
“Heart; the inner or central organ, a root ancestral to the Greek heart-word in the compound.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ēlektron
“Amber; a yellow substance associated with the attractive force produced by rubbing it.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kardia
“Heart.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
gramma
“Something written, a letter, or a record, from graphein, “to write.””
19th Century
English
electro- + cardio- + -gram
“A scientific compound meaning electricity, heart, and written record.”
Late 19th Century
English
electrocardiogram
“A recorded tracing of the heart’s electrical activity, developed as electrical instruments became capable of measuring cardiac signals.”
Modern English
English
electrocardiogram
“A clinical test and its resulting tracing, commonly abbreviated ECG or EKG.”