Occurring or existing outside the body, especially in medical contexts like dialysis machines that filter blood outside the body.
From Latin 'extra' (outside) + 'corporeal' (relating to the body), combining form meaning 'beyond the body.' The term emerged in medical terminology in the 20th century as technology allowed medical procedures to occur beyond the human body.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines literally take your blood outside your body to oxygenate it when your lungs can't—it's like having a backup set of lungs on a cart next to your hospital bed! This word represents a major shift in medicine where doctors figured out they could do life-saving work outside the body itself.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.