Word of the Week: Stenosis

Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology.

Word of the Week: Stenosis

How to say it: Stenosis (stuh-NO-sis)

What it means: When a passageway in the body becomes narrowed or constricted.

Where it comes from: The Greek stenōsis, "the act of narrowing."

Where you might see or hear it: People who have cardiovascular disease sometimes develop stenosis in the aortic valve of their heart. If this valve becomes constricted, blood does not flow through it well. If you develop this condition, your doctor will tell you that you have aortic stenosis or aortic valve stenosis.

When you might want to use it: If you are talking about your new diagnosis of aortic stenosis with your loved ones, you can explain that the term means that the valve is constricted (or even blocked partly) and cannot pump blood to your body as well as it should.