mitral

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   anatomy: relating to the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart

   The cardiologist detected a faint mitral murmur during the examination.

2. 2
   adj

   relating to or shaped like a bishop's mitre

   The shell's mitral outline narrowed to a pointed crown.

From mitre + -al. The heart valve was named mitral because its two flaps were thought to resemble a bishop's two-pointed mitre; the anatomical sense is now the adjective's dominant technical use.

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