Meaning & use
ventricles
Last updated
“ventricles” is a form of “ventricle”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralmedical
The two lower chambers of the heart that push blood out to the lungs and the rest of the body.
Grammar: Plural of ventricle: the left and right ventricles.
Patterns
- the ventricles of the heart
The ventricles contract to send blood around the body.
Doctors checked the ventricles for any sign of damage.
The left and right ventricles have different jobs.
nounpluralmedical
The connected cavities deep in the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid.
Grammar: Often discussed in brain scans: enlarged ventricles.
Patterns
- the ventricles of the brain
The scan showed enlarged ventricles in the brain.
Fluid circulates through the ventricles and around the spinal cord.
Surgeons placed a tube in the ventricles to drain extra fluid.
Word forms
| singular | ventricle |
|---|
Common combinations
- left ventricles
- The left ventricle is the strongest pumping chamber.
- ventricles contract
- The ventricles contract with each heartbeat.
- enlarged ventricles
- The scan showed enlarged ventricles.
- ventricles of the heart
- The ventricles of the heart are thick-walled.
- cerebral ventricles
- Cerebral ventricles produce and hold fluid.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chambers
- This is a general word for any enclosed space in the heart, and does not say whether it is a lower or upper chamber.
- cavities
- This is wider and can mean any hollow space in the body, not just those of the heart or brain.
Opposites
Word family
- ventricle noun
- one lower heart chamber or brain cavity
- ventricular adjective
- relating to a ventricle
- atrium noun
- an upper chamber of the heart
- interventricular adjective
- between the ventricles
Commonly confused: ventricles or atria?
ventricles vs atria
Atria are the upper chambers that receive blood, while ventricles are the lower chambers that pump it out.
Practice
Blood is pushed out of the heart by the lower chambers, called the ___.
Choose one answer.
The ventricles are the lower, thick-walled chambers that pump blood out. Atria are the upper receiving chambers, valves are flaps, and arteries are vessels.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ventricles”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.