A small cavity or chamber within a body or an organ, especially: a. The chamber
on the left side of the heart that receives arterial blood from the left atrium
and contracts to force it into the aorta. b. The chamber on the right side of
the heart that receives venous blood from the right atrium and forces it into
the pulmonary artery. c. Any of the interconnecting cavities of the brain.
Excerpted from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third
Edition Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version
licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V., further reproduction
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