ESR
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Erythrocyte sedimentation rate |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical, Science & Engineering, Technology & Computing |
ESR has three meanings. The most common are Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (laboratory test) and Equivalent series resistance (electronics & electrical); it can also stand for Extended Support Release.
Meanings of ESR at a glance
| # | ESR stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erythrocyte sedimentation rate | Medical › Laboratory Test |
| 2 | Equivalent series resistance | Science & Engineering › Electronics & Electrical |
| 3 | Extended Support Release | Technology & Computing › Software |
1. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Medical · Laboratory Test Abbreviations
Distance in millimeters that red cells fall through a vertical column of anticoagulated blood in one hour. Inflammation raises fibrinogen and globulins, which make red cells stack and settle faster, so the ESR serves as a nonspecific marker for giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, osteomyelitis and multiple myeloma.
Example: ESR 92 and CRP 7.4 in a 74-year-old with jaw claudication; starting steroids and booking a temporal artery biopsy.
Widely called the "sed rate". A rough upper limit of normal is age divided by 2 for men and age plus 10, divided by 2, for women. The ESR changes over days to weeks, whereas CRP rises and falls within hours. Anemia, pregnancy and older age raise it; sickle cell disease and polycythemia lower it. The standard method is named after Swedish physician Alf Westergren.
2. Equivalent series resistance
Science & Engineering · Electronics & Electrical Abbreviations
Small internal resistance of a capacitor, modeled as a resistor in series with an ideal capacitor, which causes heating and limits how well the capacitor filters ripple. Low ESR is critical for capacitors in switching power supplies and motherboards.
Example: The ESR meter showed the bulging electrolytic had 3 ohms ESR, far above its 0.05-ohm rating.
ESR rises as aluminum electrolytic capacitors age and dry out, a common cause of failing power supplies and monitors. In the early 2000s a wave of failures from faulty electrolyte, nicknamed the "capacitor plague," hit many computer motherboards. In chemistry ESR means electron spin resonance.
3. Extended Support Release
Technology & Computing · Software Abbreviations
Firefox and Thunderbird release channel that receives security fixes for about a year without frequent feature changes, intended for businesses, schools and other institutions that need stability.
Example: IT deploys Firefox ESR so that extensions and policies don't break every four weeks.
Mozilla introduced ESR in 2012 after its switch to rapid six-week releases upset enterprise users; regular Firefox releases now arrive every four weeks. A new ESR branch begins roughly once a year, with a few months' overlap so organizations can test before switching. Tor Browser and several Linux distributions build on Firefox ESR.
Related abbreviations
More laboratory test abbreviations
- dsDNA – Anti-double-stranded DNA antibody
- EDTA – Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- eGFR – Estimated glomerular filtration rate
- ELISA – Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
- FBC – Full blood count
- FBS – Fasting blood sugar
- FDP – Fibrin degradation products
- FLP – Fasting lipid panel
See all 135 laboratory test abbreviations →
More electronics & electrical abbreviations
- EDA – Electronic design automation
- EMC – Electromagnetic compatibility
- EMI – Electromagnetic interference
- ESD – Electrostatic discharge
- FET – Field-effect transistor
- FM – Frequency modulation
- FPGA – Field-programmable gate array
- GFCI – Ground-fault circuit interrupter
See all 82 electronics & electrical abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.