Main Entry:

aor·ta

Pronunciation:

\ā-ˈȯr-tə\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural aor·tas or aor·tae \-tē\

Etymology:

New Latin, from Greek aortē, from aeirein to lift

Date:

1543

: the great arterial trunk that carries blood from the heart to be distributed by branch arteries through the body — see heart illustration

— aor·tic \-ˈȯr-tik\ adjective