Embolus
/ˈɛm.bə.ləs/noun
A plug, blockage, or detached clot carried in the bloodstream; in medicine, something that obstructs a vessel.
Did you know?Embolus comes from Greek ἔμβολος, originally meaning a wedge, bolt, or “something thrown in,” and the same root also gave rise to words for the action of casting or inserting.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔμβολος (embolos)
“a wedge, bolt, or plug; something thrown or put in”
Late Greek
Greek
ἐμβολή (embolḗ)
“an insertion, interposition, or attack”
Latin
Latin
embolus
“a wedge or plug; later a medical obstruction”
Middle English
English
embolus
“a plug or obstruction, especially in the body”
Modern English
English
embolus
“a detached clot or other material that blocks a blood vessel”