A medical device implanted near the heart that uses electrical pulses to regulate heartbeat, or a person who sets the pace in a race.
From 'pace' (from Latin 'passus,' a step) plus 'maker.' The medical device was named by analogy to a runner who sets the pace for others—it 'makes' the heart's pace artificially.
The first artificial pacemaker was implanted in 1958, and those early devices lasted only a few years before the battery died and surgery was needed again. Modern pacemakers last 7-10 years, but researchers are developing biological pacemakers grown from a patient's own cells that could last a lifetime.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.