rhythm

[G. rhyihmos.] Measured time or motion; the regular alternation of two different or opposite states, can'tering r., a disturbance of r. in the heart sounds comparable to the foot-falls of a cantering horse, gallop r., cantering r. nodal r., abnormal cardiac r. characterized by the simultaneous contraction of auricles (atria) and ventricles, or the ventricular contraction may precede the auricular by the fraction of a second; it is a umed that in this case the contraction starts from the atrioventricular instead of the sinoauricular node, pen'dulum r., a condition in which the two sounds of the heart are practically alike, and resembling the even swing of a pendulum or ticking of a clock, si'nus r., normal cardiac rhythm proceeding from the sinoauricular node, or remains of the sinus venosus. ventric'ularr., noting the very slow ventricular contractions occurring in cases of heart-block.