PDA
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Public display of affection |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Texting & Internet Slang, Medical, Technology & Computing, Government & Politics |
PDA has five meanings. The most common are Public display of affection (dating and relationship) and Patent ductus arteriosus (cardiology); it can also stand for Personal digital assistant, Posterior descending artery and Pregnancy Discrimination Act.
Meanings of PDA at a glance
| # | PDA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public display of affection | Texting & Internet Slang › Dating and Relationship |
| 2 | Patent ductus arteriosus | Medical › Cardiology |
| 3 | Personal digital assistant | Technology & Computing › Consumer Electronics |
| 4 | Posterior descending artery | Medical › Cardiology |
| 5 | Pregnancy Discrimination Act | Government & Politics › US Law |
1. Public display of affection
Texting & Internet Slang · Dating and Relationship Abbreviations · also used in general use
Kissing, hugging, hand-holding or other physical affection shown in public, often mentioned disapprovingly, as in "too much PDA." Common in conversation, school rules and social media comments about celebrity couples.
Example: The couple on the train had so much PDA I had to switch cars.
Many American middle and high schools have written PDA policies limiting contact between students. Norms vary widely by culture; in some countries public kissing can break decency laws. In older technology contexts PDA means personal digital assistant, a handheld organizer such as the Palm Pilot.
2. Patent ductus arteriosus
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Persistence after birth of the fetal vessel linking the pulmonary artery and aorta, which normally closes within the first days of life. It is particularly common in premature infants and produces a continuous "machinery" murmur when the left-to-right shunt is significant.
Example: Preterm infant at 27 weeks with a hemodynamically significant PDA; trial of ibuprofen for ductal closure.
Prostaglandin inhibitors such as indomethacin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen can close the duct in premature infants, whereas a prostaglandin E1 infusion keeps it open in newborns whose circulation depends on it, such as some with transposition or hypoplastic left heart. Older children and adults usually undergo catheter device closure. In coronary anatomy PDA also means posterior descending artery.
3. Personal digital assistant
Technology & Computing · Consumer Electronics Abbreviations
Handheld computer of the 1990s and 2000s used for contacts, calendars, notes, email and simple apps, typically controlled with a stylus. Smartphones absorbed and replaced it.
Example: In 1999 my dad kept his whole schedule on a Palm PDA.
Apple CEO John Sculley coined the term in 1992 for the Apple Newton, launched in 1993. The Palm Pilot (1996) became the best-selling PDA, with its Graffiti handwriting alphabet; Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and BlackBerry devices followed. The iPhone (2007) and Android phones ended the category. In texting, PDA means public display of affection.
4. Posterior descending artery
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Coronary artery running along the underside of the heart in the posterior interventricular groove, supplying the inferior wall and the back of the septum. Whichever artery gives rise to it, usually the right coronary artery, determines coronary "dominance."
Example: Right-dominant system; 90% stenosis at the origin of the PDA.
Also called the posterior interventricular artery. In most people the PDA arises from the RCA (right-dominant), in a minority from the circumflex (left-dominant) and in the rest from both (codominant). In congenital heart disease PDA far more often means patent ductus arteriosus, so the context of the report matters.
5. Pregnancy Discrimination Act
Government & Politics · US Law Abbreviations
Amendment of 1978 to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act that defines discrimination because of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions as unlawful sex discrimination, requiring employers to treat pregnant workers like others similar in their ability to work.
Example: The PDA bars an employer from refusing to hire her because she is pregnant.
It overturned the result of General Electric Co. v. Gilbert (1976), in which the Supreme Court held that excluding pregnancy from disability benefits was not sex discrimination. Young v. UPS (2015) clarified how it applies to light-duty requests. In technology, PDA means personal digital assistant.
Related abbreviations
More dating and relationship abbreviations
- NC – No contact
- NRE – New relationship energy
- NS – Non-smoker
- OH – Other half
- QT – Cutie
- SAHGF – Stay-at-home girlfriend
- SD – Sweet dreams
- SO – Significant other
See all 36 dating and relationship abbreviations →
More cardiology abbreviations
- PAD – Peripheral artery disease
- PAF – Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- PCI – Percutaneous coronary intervention
- PCWP – Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
- PEA – Pulseless electrical activity
- PFO – Patent foramen ovale
- PMI – Point of maximal impulse
- POBA – Plain old balloon angioplasty
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.