Sphygmus
/ˈsfɪɡ.məs/noun
A pulse, especially the rhythmic throbbing of an artery.
Did you know?In ancient Greek medical writing, related terms from this root were used to study the pulse as a diagnostic sign, making the heartbeat one of medicine’s oldest “readable” mysteries.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σφυγμός (sphygmós)
“a pulse, throbbing, or beating”
Late Latin
Latin
sphygmus
“pulse”
Middle English
English
sphygmus
“pulse, especially in medical writing”
Modern English
English
sphygmus
“the pulse or arterial throbbing”
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