pericardium

noun

peri·​car·​di·​um ˌper-ə-ˈkär-dē-əm How to pronounce pericardium (audio)
plural pericardia ˌper-ə-ˈkär-dē-ə How to pronounce pericardium (audio)
1
: the conical sac of serous membrane that encloses the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels of vertebrates
2
: a cavity or space that contains the heart of an invertebrate and in arthropods is a part of the hemocoel

Examples of pericardium 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.
The pericardium is the heart’s edge, its limit, its reminder to not go beyond its size. — Heather Lanier, Longreads, 10 Jan. 2023 This is different than fluid being in the lung tissue itself or in the pericardium. — Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 14 July 2024 Anthony Figueiredo, a British priest with the Diocese of Assisi, handles a sliver of the boy's pericardium — the sac that surrounds the heart — that is touring the world as a religious relic. — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025 Cancer may also be found in the bronchus, pleura, diaphragm, chest wall, breastbone, backbone, phrenic nerve, pericardium, vena cava, aorta, pharynx, trachea, esophagus, and/or carina (the area where the trachea branches into the bronchi). — Lynne Eldridge, Verywell Health, 15 Aug. 2023 See All Example Sentences for pericardium

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Greek perikardion, neuter of perikardios around the heart, from peri- + kardia heart — more at heart

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pericardium was in the 15th century

Rhymes for pericardium

See All Rhymes for pericardium

Browse Nearby Words

pericarditis
pericardium
pericarp
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pericardium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pericardium. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pericardium

noun
peri·​car·​di·​um ˌper-ə-ˈkärd-ē-əm How to pronounce pericardium (audio)
plural pericardia -ē-ə How to pronounce pericardium (audio)
: the cone-shaped structure of membrane that encloses the vertebrate heart and the nearby parts of the large arteries and veins leading to or away from it
pericardial
-ē-əl
adjective

Medical Definition

pericardium

noun
peri·​car·​di·​um ˌper-ə-ˈkärd-ē-əm How to pronounce pericardium (audio)
plural pericardia -ē-ə How to pronounce pericardium (audio)
: the conical sac of serous membrane that encloses the heart and the roots of the great blood vessels of vertebrates and consists of an outer fibrous coat that loosely invests the heart and is prolonged on the outer surface of the great vessels except the inferior vena cava and a double inner serous coat of which one layer is closely adherent to the heart while the other lines the inner surface of the outer coat with the intervening space being filled with pericardial fluid

More from Merriam-Webster on pericardium

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pericardium

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