chest pump

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablemedical

   A rhythmic pressing on the chest, especially as part of CPR to restart the heart.

   Grammar: Countable: 'a chest pump', 'chest pumps'. Often used in the plural for the repeated action.

   Patterns

   • do chest pumps
   • give someone chest pumps
   • chest pumps on someone

   The lifeguard performed chest pumps on the drowning victim.

   In CPR training, you learn to give strong chest pumps.

   He kept doing chest pumps until the ambulance arrived.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   An exercise that works the chest muscles by repeatedly pushing weight away from the body.

   Grammar: Countable: 'a chest pump', 'chest pumps'. Often used in the plural for a set of repetitions.

   Patterns

   • do chest pumps
   • a set of chest pumps
   • chest pump exercise

   He does chest pumps every morning to build strength.

   The trainer showed her a simple chest pump using dumbbells.

   After a set of chest pumps, his arms were tired.

Word forms

Common combinations

do chest pumps

The paramedic did chest pumps to keep blood flowing.

give chest pumps

She gave chest pumps until help came.

a set of chest pumps

He finished a set of chest pumps at the gym.

Synonyms and how they differ

chest compression

The standard medical term for the CPR action; 'chest pump' is less formal and less precise.

push-up

A common exercise for the chest, but it uses body weight rather than a pumping motion.

Word family

chest noun

The front part of the body between the neck and the stomach.

pump verb

To move something forcefully in a repeated up-and-down or in-and-out motion.

Commonly confused: chest pump or chest compression?

Practice

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