ventricle

noun

ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl How to pronounce ventricle (audio)
: a cavity of a bodily part or organ: such as
a
: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries see heart illustration
b
: any of a system of communicating cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord see brain illustration

Examples of ventricle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Provide remote monitoring and virtual care coordination for rural children with asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and single-ventricle heart disease. — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026 Simpson was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a rare congenital heart condition where the heart repairs damage with tissue that doesn't properly conduct electricity in the right ventricle. — Errol Barnett, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Two measures tied to Alzheimer’s progression, hippocampal shrinkage and ventricle expansion, worsened in the control group but held steady in the treatment group. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 July 2026 According to Stanford Medicine, the device assists the left ventricle — the heart’s main pumping chamber — in moving oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for ventricle

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Latin ventriculus "belly, stomach, cavity in an organ," from ventr-, venter "belly, womb" + -culus, diminutive suffix (variant of -ulus -ule with nouns of the 3rd, 4th and 5th declensions) — more at venter

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ventricle was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing ventricle

Rhymes for ventricle

See All Rhymes for ventricle

Browse Nearby Words

ventre à terre
ventricle
ventricolumna
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ventricle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ventricle. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ventricle

noun
ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl How to pronounce ventricle (audio)
1
: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from an atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries
2
: one of the cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord

Medical Definition

ventricle

noun
ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl How to pronounce ventricle (audio)
: a cavity of a bodily part or organ: as
a
: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries
b
: one of the system of communicating cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord, that like it are derived from the medullary canal of the embryo, that are lined with an epithelial ependyma, and that contain a serous fluid see lateral ventricle, third ventricle, fourth ventricle
c
: a fossa or pouch on each side of the larynx between the false vocal cords above and the true vocal cords below

More from Merriam-Webster on ventricle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ventricle

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