flatline
flatline Lexical Profile
flatline Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To register a horizontal line on an electronic monitor indicating no electrical activity in the heart or brain, or to die in this manner.
"The patient flatlined twice on the operating table before the surgeons stabilized his heartbeat."
To cease growing, developing, or changing; to remain at a static, low, or unresponsive level.
"Productivity tends to flatline when employees are not given clear objectives or feedback."
• noun
A horizontal trace on an oscillating medical monitor (such as an electrocardiogram or electroencephalogram) indicating the complete absence of electrical activity in the heart or brain.
"The medical team rushed to resuscitate the patient as soon as the monitor showed a flatline."
A state of complete stagnation, inactivity, or lack of progress, especially in economic or statistical trends.
"After months of steady growth, retail sales hit a flatline during the third quarter."
• Rhymes for flatline
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 1970s as medical slang from the compound of "flat" and "line," referring to the horizontal trace on an electrocardiogram or electroencephalogram indicating the cessation of vital signs.