defibrillator

noun

de·​fi·​bril·​la·​tor (ˌ)dē-ˈfi-brə-ˌlā-tər 

: an electronic device that applies an electric shock to restore the rhythm of a fibrillating heart

defibrillate

(ˌ)dē-ˈfi-brə-ˌlāt 

transitive verb

defibrillation

(ˌ)dē-ˌfi-brə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

Examples of defibrillator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Police officers administered both CPR and a defibrillator and detected a pulse — then a fire-rescue lieutenant gave her Narcan, a medicine that can save someone from a fentanyl or opioid overdose. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025

He was later fitted with a heart defibrillator, according to AP. —Ben Church, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025

Read more What 'Wheel of Fortune' Fans Miss About Retired Host Pat Sajak Second time's the charm with the defibrillator, and doctors find a heartbeat. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024

And because heart disease is the number one killer of women, cardiac and stroke events are the most preventable through education, which includes CPR and defibrillator training. —Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for defibrillator

• accelerator
• accumulator
• adjudicator
• administrator
• appropriator
• articulator
• attenuator
• bronchodilator
• collaborator
• communicator
• conciliator
• cooperator

Medical Definition

defibrillator

noun

de·​fi·​bril·​la·​tor (ˈ)dē-ˈfib-rə-ˌlāt-ər  -ˈfīb- 

: an electronic device used to defibrillate a heart by applying an electric shock to it