Ventilator

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈvɛntɪleɪtə/

Definitions

1. A machine that mechanically assists or replaces spontaneous breathing by moving air into and out of the lungs
2. A device designed to help individuals with breathing difficulties by supplying air to the lungs while removing waste gases is often crucial in medical emergencies
3. A mechanical apparatus used to aid or substitute natural respiration by delivering air to the lungs and expelling carbon dioxide

Etymology: The machine that breathes for you is named after wind. Its root is Latin "ventus", meaning "wind", and the verb "ventilare" meant to fan or air something out, to expose it to moving air. English first used "ventilate" in the sense of airing a room, and only later in the sense of supplying fresh air to a patient's lungs. The noun "ventilator" grew from that verb. English formed it by adding the suffix "-or", which turns a verb into a word for a thing that does the action, so a ventilator is literally something that ventilates. The Latin word "ventilator" existed earlier with the same sense of a fan or winnowing device, so the English noun followed an established pattern. The modern medical sense is a later extension. A device that moves air in and out of a patient's lungs took the old household idea of fanning air and applied it to the body.

Synonyms: respirator, breathing machine, artificial ventilator, lung machine, oxygenator