diastole

noun

Etymology: From Ancient Greek διαστολή (diastolḗ, “separation, drawing asunder”), from διά (diá, “apart”) + στέλλειν (stéllein, “send”).

1. The phase or process of relaxation and dilation of the heart chambers, between contractions, during which they fill with blood; an instance of the process.

   “[…] I did almoſt beleeve, that the motion of the Heart vvas knovvn to God alone: For neither could I rightly diſtinguiſh, vvhich vvay the Diaſtole and Systole came to be, nor vvhen nor vvhere the dilation and conſtriction had its exiſtence.”

   “In patients with rapid rates, diastole may be sufficiently shortened that the third and fourth heart sounds become superimposed and form a summation gallop.”

2. The lengthening of a vowel or syllable beyond its typical length.

   “1815 March and June, On the Greek and Latin Accents, The Classical Journal, Volume XI, page 81, I have inserted diastole which is omitted in Putschius, an insertion which both the complement, and the subsequent text make necessary.”

   “[A]ccording to prosody, this syllable has the diastole and the stress, whereas the second of “cujus” or of “animam” has not.”

3. The hypodiastole, a textual or punctuation mark formerly used to disambiguate homonyms in Greek.