arteriole
noun
ar·te·ri·ole
är-ˈtir-ē-ˌōl 
: any of the small terminal twigs of an artery that ends in capillaries
Examples of arteriole in a Sentence
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As the researchers had expected, PLIM-SLO revealed that arterioles (very small branches of arteries) had the highest oxygen, venules (the smallest veins that return deoxygenated blood) had the lowest, with capillaries in between.
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New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2025
Arteries can be thought of as a system of pipes that branch into narrower blood vessels, called arterioles, until reaching capillaries, where oxygen exchange occurs.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 1 Aug. 2024
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New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2025
Arteries can be thought of as a system of pipes that branch into narrower blood vessels, called arterioles, until reaching capillaries, where oxygen exchange occurs.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 1 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Arteriole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arteriole. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
arteriole
noun
ar·te·ri·ole
är-ˈtir-ē-ˌōl
: a very small artery connecting a larger artery to capillaries
Medical Definition
arteriole
noun
ar·te·ri·ole
är-ˈtir-ē-ˌōl
: any of the small terminal twigs of an artery that ends in capillaries
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