English Lexicon

Cardio

/ˈkɑːr.di.oʊ/
nounadjectiveCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #4500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    Exercises that raise the heart rate and improve cardiopulmonary fitness, such as running, swimming, or cycling.

    "She starts her workout routine with thirty minutes of cardio on the treadmill."
As adjective
  1. 1

    Relating to or involving cardiovascular exercise.

    "The trainer recommended adding a high-intensity cardio session to build endurance."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived as an abbreviation of the English word 'cardiovascular', originating from the combination of the Greek 'kardia' meaning heart and Latin 'vasculum' meaning a small vessel. It gained widespread usage in the late 20th century within the fitness and medical lexicon to denote aerobic exercise.

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