hypercapnia

noun

hy·per·cap·nia ˌhī-pər-ˈkap-nē-ə

: the presence of excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the blood

hypercapnic

ˌhī-pər-ˈkap-nik

adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from hyper- + Greek kapnos smoke; probably akin to Lithuanian kvapas breath

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of hypercapnia was in 1908

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hypercapnia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypercapnia. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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Medical Definition

hypercapnia

noun

hy·per·cap·nia -ˈkap-nē-ə

: the presence of an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood

hypercapnic

-nik

adjective

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