Thrombi

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An aggregation of blood cells and proteins forming a solid mass within blood vessels, potentially obstructing circulation
2. A clot created from platelets and fibrin that can develop in blood vessels, interfering with normal blood flow
3. A mass of coagulated blood that results from the body's hemostatic response, potentially leading to vascular blockage

Etymology: Thrombi is the plural of "thrombus," and "thrombus" comes straight from Greek "thrombos," meaning a lump, clot or curd. The Greek word is related to "thrombein," to curdle or coagulate, which tells you the ancient sense was about a substance thickening into a solid mass, the same process that turns milk into curd. English borrowed the Latinized form "thrombus" as a medical term, and the plural follows Latin grammar, giving "thrombi." Medieval and early modern physicians used the Greek root to name clots forming inside the body, so the word stayed close to its original image of something coagulating.

Synonyms: clots, coagulations