What does thrombi mean?
Thrombi is the plural of thrombus, a term for a blood clot that forms inside a blood vessel or the heart and remains attached to the vessel wall. Such clots can partially or completely obstruct blood flow, so their presence may be important in conditions involving venous thrombosis, arterial disease, or the heart. The word belongs primarily to clinical and scientific language rather than everyday speech, where “blood clots” is more common. A thrombus is distinguished from an embolus: an embolus is material that has broken away from its original site and travelled elsewhere in the circulation. Thrombi is also easy to confuse grammatically with thrombus, its singular form. Knowing the distinction is useful when reading medical reports, discussing blood clots, or learning related terms such as thrombosis, thrombotic, and thrombocyte.
nounThrombi are blood clots that form inside a blood vessel or the heart and remain attached to the vessel wall. The singular is thrombus.
- Plural of thrombus: a blood clot formed within a blood vessel or the heart that remains attached to the vessel wall.
"The scan revealed multiple thrombi in the patient's lower-leg veins."
"The ultrasound detected thrombi in both legs, prompting the physician to monitor the patient closely."
"Autopsy findings showed several thrombi within the pulmonary arteries."
Thrombi is the standard plural of thrombus, while thrombus is the singular form.
"Several thrombi were identified in the pulmonary arteries."
From the Greek thrombos, meaning “clot,” to modern medicine: one is a thrombus, and many are thrombi.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does thrombi come from?
Thrombus comes through Latin from the Greek thrombos, meaning “clot” or “lump.” The term entered English in the early modern period and became established in medical usage. Its plural thrombi follows the Latin-style plural ending -i familiar from medical terminology.
Related word forms
How thrombi is actually used
Thrombi is a specialized medical term and is used almost exclusively in clinical or scientific contexts. It should not be confused with emboli, which are clots or other material that have broken free and travelled through the bloodstream.
Easily confused with thrombi
A thrombus is the singular form of the word; thrombi is the plural.