Definition

To cause muscle fibers to contract in a rapid and irregular manner, often referring to the heart.

Example

The doctor explained that the heart can fibrillate during a serious medical condition.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Did you hear about that medical study on heart conditions?

Yeah, they mentioned how certain issues can cause the heart to fibrillate.

It's pretty alarming how serious that can be.

For sure, we need to take care of our heart health!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Fibrillate → It is formed from "fibrilla" (from Latin "fibrilla", meaning a small fiber) and the suffix "-ate" (indicating to make or to perform an action). The word "fibrillate" means to make small fibers or to undergo rapid, irregular contractions, particularly in reference to heart muscles.

Memory Tip

Think of small fibers ('fibrilla') contracting rapidly — that's what fibrillate means.

Visually Confused Words