Descriptionary

Kaiser a mustache having turned up ends, as worn by Germany's kaiser in 1914.

mistletoe narrow mustache composed of two cres­cents, reminiscent of mistletoe leaves.

pencil line a very narrow mustache, sometimes divided in two at the center lip. Also, a line drawn on the upper lip.

pyramid a pyramid-shaped or triangular mustache.

regent a neat mustache resembling a rounded letter M or the twin peaks of round-top mountains.

Roman T a rectangular mustache worn with a nar­row tuft hanging from below the lower lip, to form the letter T.

soupstrainer see walrus.

square button see toothbrush.

toothbrush a short rectangle or square, as that worn by Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler.

walrus a thick, broad mustache allowed to grow and droop over the upper and sometimes even the lower lip. Also known as a soupstrainer.

waxed a mustache in which the ends are waxed to create points or curves.

wings neatly trimmed mustache resembling bird wings.

heart and circulatory system

aneurysm a ballooning-out of the wall of a vein, an artery, or the heart due to weakening of the wall by disease, injury, or congenital defect.

angina pectoris chest pain caused by insufficient blood to the heart muscle.

angiocardiography an X-ray of the blood vessels or chambers of the heart using a contrasting dye. The X-ray pictures resulting from the procedure are called angiograms.

angioplasty a procedure used to widen narrowed arteries by passing a balloon-tipped catheter into the diseased vessels and inflating the balloon.

aorta the large artery that receives blood from the heart's left ventricle and distributes it to the body.

aortic valve the heart valve between the left ven­tricle and aorta.

arrhythmia an abnormal rhythm of the heart.

arterioles muscular branches of arteries that when contracted slow blood flow and increase blood pres­sure.

arteriosclerosis a thickening and loss of elastic­ity of artery walls, also known as hardening of the arteries.

artery any vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body.

atherosclerosis a form of arteriosclerosis in which the linings of artery walls become thickened with deposits of fats, cholesterol, and other substances col­lectively known as plaque.

athletic heart syndrome an enlargement of the heart and slowing of heart rate in response to strenuous exercise; may also be accompanied by arrhythmias.

atria the two upper, holding chambers of the heart.

atrioventricular node special conducting tissue of the right atrium through which electrical impulses pass to reach the ventricles.

atrium either of the two upper chambers of the heart in which blood collects before being passed to the ventricles.

balloon angioplasty see angioplasty.

blood clot a clotted mass of blood cells that nor­mally stops the flow of blood at an injury site but can also form inside an artery wall narrowed by disease and cause a heart attack.

blood pressure the force exerted by the heart in pumping blood; the pressure of blood in the arteries.

blue babies infants having bluish skin, a sign of insufficient oxygen in arterial blood and indicating a heart defect.

capillaries tiny blood vessels that distribute blood between the veins and arteries.

cardiac pertaining to the heart.

cardiac arrest the cessation of the beating of the heart.

cardiology the study of heart function and heart disease.

cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) the emer­gency procedure of chest compression and mouth- to-mouth breathing to help keep oxygenated blood flowing to the heart and brain in a cardiac arrest victim.

carotid artery either of the two major arteries in the neck that carry blood to the head.

catheterization an examination of the heart by passing of a thin tube (catheter) into a vein or artery and pushing it into the heart area.

cerebral thrombosis formation of a blood clot in an artery that supplies the brain.

cerebrovascular accident also known as stroke or apoplexy, an impeded flow of blood to the brain and its result.

cholesterol a fatty substance present in some foods and also manufactured by the liver; known to clog arteries over time.

cineangiography a motion picture taken of an opaque dye passing through blood vessels.

collateral circulation smaller "standby" arteries normally closed, but that may open to carry blood to the heart when a coronary artery becomes clogged.

congenital heart defect a heart defect present at birth.