Definition of "diastole" in English

noun

1. (chiefly uncountable, physiology) 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.

2. (uncountable, prosody) 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.

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