A wedge-shaped object or insertion; a general term for anything that fits into or blocks a space.
From Latin/Greek 'embolos' (wedge). The '-um' ending makes it a Latin neuter noun, used in anatomical and architectural contexts.
Latin scholars took the Greek word for wedge and Latinized it as 'embolum'—it appeared in texts about architecture and anatomy, showing how this one physical concept was so useful they needed it across disciplines!
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