INTERPRETATIONS - LEARN BASICS OF ECG Electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG  [from the  German   Elektrokardiogramm ]) is a transthoracic interpretation of the  electrical  activity of the  heart  over  time  captured and externally recorded by skin electrodes. [1]  It is a  noninvasive  recording produced by an electrocardiographic device. The etymology of the word is derived