CAD
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Coronary artery disease |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Medical, Science & Engineering, Business & Finance, Government & Politics |
CAD has five meanings. The most common are Coronary artery disease (cardiology) and Computer-aided design (engineering); it can also stand for Canadian dollar, Computer-aided dispatch and Current account deficit.
Meanings of CAD at a glance
| # | CAD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coronary artery disease | Medical › Cardiology |
| 2 | Computer-aided design | Science & Engineering › Engineering |
| 3 | Canadian dollar | Business & Finance › Currency |
| 4 | Computer-aided dispatch | Government & Politics › Emergency Services |
| 5 | Current account deficit | Business & Finance › Economics |
1. Coronary artery disease
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Narrowing of the heart's own arteries by atherosclerotic plaque, the most common form of heart disease and a leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. It can cause stable angina, acute coronary syndromes, heart failure or sudden death, and is evaluated with stress testing, coronary CT angiography or catheterization.
Example: PMH: CAD s/p two stents to the LAD in 2019, HTN, type 2 diabetes.
Often used interchangeably with CHD (coronary heart disease) and IHD (ischemic heart disease). Major risk factors are smoking, high LDL cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, family history and age. "Nonobstructive CAD" means plaque narrowing an artery by less than about 50 percent, which can still rupture and cause events. In engineering and design CAD instead means computer-aided design, the more familiar meaning for most readers.
2. Computer-aided design
Science & Engineering · Engineering Abbreviations · also used in technology
Use of software to create, modify and document 2D drawings and 3D models of parts, products, buildings and circuits. CAD replaced the drafting table in engineering and architecture, and its models feed directly into simulation, manufacturing, 3D printing and construction.
Example: Send the CAD files as STEP so the machine shop can import the geometry.
Patrick Hanratty's PRONTO program (1957) and Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad, built at MIT in 1963 with a light pen, are often cited as the origins of CAD. Autodesk released AutoCAD in December 1982, bringing CAD to personal computers, and its DWG format became an industry standard. The Boeing 777, first flown in 1994, was the first airliner designed entirely in 3D CAD. Pronounced "cad," as a word.
3. Canadian dollar
Business & Finance · Currency Abbreviations
Canada's currency, issued by the Bank of Canada and divided into 100 cents. Traders call it the "loonie", after the common loon on the one-dollar coin introduced in 1987.
Example: The ski pass at Whistler is CAD 239 per day.
The two-dollar coin, introduced in 1996, is nicknamed the "toonie". Canada stopped producing the penny in 2012, so cash prices are rounded to the nearest five cents. The CAD often tracks oil prices because of Canada's energy exports, and polymer notes have been issued since 2011.
4. Computer-aided dispatch
Government & Politics · Emergency Services Abbreviations
Software used by 911 centers to log calls, track the status and location of units, recommend responders and record times for every step of an incident.
Example: The CAD log showed the first unit arrived four minutes and 12 seconds after dispatch.
CAD systems interface with mapping, mobile data terminals in vehicles and records systems. CAD records are often requested by journalists and lawyers. In engineering, CAD means computer-aided design, and CAD is also the currency code for the Canadian dollar.
5. Current account deficit
Business & Finance · Economics Abbreviations
Shortfall that occurs when a country's spending on imports of goods and services, income payments abroad and transfers exceeds its earnings from exports and foreign income. A deficit must be financed by borrowing from abroad or by selling assets to foreigners.
Example: India's CAD widened to 2 percent of GDP as oil import bills rose.
Persistent large deficits can leave a country vulnerable if foreign investors withdraw, as several emerging markets discovered in the 2013 "taper tantrum." The United States has run current account deficits in most years since the early 1980s. In currency markets, CAD is the ISO code for the Canadian dollar.
Related abbreviations
More cardiology abbreviations
- BMS – Bare-metal stent
- BNP – B-type natriuretic peptide
- CABG – Coronary artery bypass grafting
- CAC – Coronary artery calcium
- CAS – Carotid artery stenting
- CCS – Canadian Cardiovascular Society
- CCTA – Coronary computed tomography angiography
- CCU – Coronary care unit
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
More engineering abbreviations
- ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers
- ASTM – ASTM International
- BIM – Building information modeling
- BOM – Bill of materials
- CAE – Computer-aided engineering
- CAM – Computer-aided manufacturing
- CFD – Computational fluid dynamics
- CNC – Computer numerical control
See all 79 engineering abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.