flatline means an asystole; the absence of heart contractions or brain waves.; The disappearance of the rhythmic peaks displayed on a heart monitor. It carries an Arena rating of 1680, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, flatline ranks #157 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #328 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #421 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #984 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words.
flatline is pronounced /ˈflætˌlaɪn/.
Why “flatline” is a great word
A cessation of heart contractions or brain waves, represented by a continuous straight line on a monitor; by extension, to die or to stop functioning completely. From flat (level, even) + line (a continuous mark), referring to the straight line on an ECG or EEG indicating a lack of vital activity, attested from the mid-twentieth century. Unlike 'asystole,' which names a specific clinical failure, or 'plateau,' which suggests a stable, often productive pause, to flatline is to describe a terminal and absolute halt. It is the monitor's final, unwavering verdict in the hushed room, the sudden silence of a stalled engine on a deserted road, the friendship that stops mid-sentence into a silence that will not be filled—the moment potential becomes merely historical.
Etymology
From flat + line. Refers to a continuous straight line (asystole) on an ECG (EKG) or EEG, indicating death.
noun
- An asystole; the absence of heart contractions or brain waves.; The disappearance of the rhythmic peaks displayed on a heart monitor.
- An asystole; the absence of heart contractions or brain waves.; The disappearance of brain waves on an electroencephalogram.e.g.“When brain function ceases, the electroencephalogram shows flatline recordings.” — 1972, Louis Lasagna, “Aging and the field of medicine”, in Matilda White Riley, Anne Foner, editors, Aging and Society: Aging and the professions, page 68:
- An unchanging state, as indicated in a graph of a variable over time.e.g.“Thus, you hear words like "flatline recession," "improvement at a greatly reduced rate," "economic hiccup," "recessionette," "rolling readjustment" and "the economy is double clutching."” — 1967 June 17, “Business Outlook”, in Business Week, part 6, page 23:
- A line that is run low to the water from the rod tip, generally off a release clip of some type.
verb
- To stop beating.
- To die.
- To kill.e.g.“If looks could kill, Mona's sharp gaze would have flatlined him in one second.” — 2013, Shobha Nihalani, Nine:
- To remain at the same level, without development; or, to fall.e.g.“The economy in Northern Ireland is flatlining and jobs are scarce.” — 2012, The Guardian, National Trust attempts to block £100m Giant's Causeway golf course:
- To experience significantly decreased rates of change compared to previous rates of change.e.g.“Upon upload, the video got 1,000 views/day for the first week, then flatlined and started getting fewer than ten views/day.”
- To fish using a flatline.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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