What does vasoconstrictor mean?
Vasoconstrictor is a noun for a substance or physiological agent that narrows blood vessels. Its action, called vasoconstriction, increases resistance to blood flow and can raise blood pressure, particularly when it affects many vessels throughout the body. In clinical care, vasoconstrictors may be used to control bleeding or support blood pressure, although their effects depend on the substance, dose, and site of action. The word is also used in biological research to describe compounds that produce vascular narrowing. Closely related terms include vasoconstrictive, an adjective describing the effect, and vasoconstriction, the process itself. The opposite is a vasodilator, which widens blood vessels and may lower blood pressure. Understanding the distinction is important in medicine and pharmacology because changes in vessel diameter can strongly affect blood pressure, circulation, and the delivery of oxygen to tissues.
nounA substance, drug, or physiological agent that causes blood vessels to narrow, especially arterioles, thereby reducing blood flow through them.
- A substance, drug, or physiological agent that causes blood vessels to narrow, especially arterioles.
"The clinician administered a vasoconstrictor to reduce bleeding at the site of surgery."
"The drug acts as a vasoconstrictor, narrowing the blood vessels around the injured area."
"Researchers measured the response of blood vessels to a strong vasoconstrictor."
The plural refers to multiple substances or drugs that cause blood vessels to narrow.
"Several vasoconstrictors are used to control severe bleeding."
A vasoconstrictor can help raise blood pressure while simultaneously making it harder for blood to reach the tissues downstream.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does vasoconstrictor come from?
Vasoconstrictor was formed by combining the combining form vaso-, derived from Latin vas meaning “vessel,” with constrictor, an agent or mechanism that constricts. The elements reflect the original physiological sense of an agent that causes vessels to contract and narrow. Later medical usage extended the term to drugs and other substances with this action. Related terms such as vasodilator and vasomotor share the same vaso- element but refer respectively to vessel-widening and vessel-control mechanisms.
Related word forms
How vasoconstrictor is actually used
This is a formal scientific and medical term, used especially in physiology, pharmacology, and clinical writing. It most often refers to a substance or drug, while the related process is called vasoconstriction and the opposing process is called vasodilation.
Easily confused with vasoconstrictor
A vasoconstrictor narrows blood vessels, whereas a vasodilator causes them to widen.