artery

noun ar·tery \ ˈär-tə-rē , ˈär-trē \

Definition of artery

plural arteries

1 :any of the tubular branching muscular- and elastic-walled vessels that carry blood from the heart through the body

2 :a channel (such as a river or highway) of transportation or communication; especially :the main channel in a branching system

See artery defined for English-language learners

See artery defined for kids

Examples of artery in a Sentence

He favors local side roads over major arteries.
there's an accident on the main artery into town, so I'll be late

Recent Examples of artery from the Web

Oswalt has said coroner’s officials told him McNamara, a true crime writer, died at the age of 46 from a combination of prescription medicine and an undiagnosed heart condition that caused blockages in her arteries.

— tracy swartz, chicagotribune.com, "Patton Oswalt's Netflix special, taped in Chicago, due out in October," 30 Aug. 2017
But the doctors found no such problem: Her arteries were perfect.

— lisa sanders, m.d., New York Times, "It Began with Sudden Blackouts. Then Came Some Alarming News.," 17 Aug. 2017
Arteries can narrow until blood can no longer flow through them.

— nutrition diva monica reinagel, Scientific American, "The Disease-Proofing Myth," 2 Aug. 2017
Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the arteries in the lung, which, if untreated, can result in right heart failure – and our patient already was having problems with the left side of her heart.

— Philly.com, "Medical mystery: Which risky problem gets treated first?," 30 July 2017
Hire them to build and repair roads, to expand important airports, and to improve major arteries of transportation.

— michael brendan dougherty, National Review, "Health-Care Reform Is Dead. Here’s What Congress Can Do Instead.," 28 July 2017
Ashley’s neck organs had suffered extensive trauma, and her windpipe and right artery had been cut in two.

— carolyn murnick, The Cut, "What I Know About My Best Friend’s Murder," 25 July 2017
Patients in the study had blocked arteries, heart rhythm problems or heart failure.

— liz szabo, Kaiser Health News, "Depression Among Heart Attack Survivors Can Be Deadly, Yet Is Often Ignored," 20 July 2017
Frank Anaya severely cut his leg and femoral artery while battling the brush fire.

— karen kucher, sandiegouniontribune.com, "22-year-old inmate firefighter hurt in Lakeside blaze dies from his injuries," 11 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'artery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of artery

Middle English arterie, from Latin arteria, from Greek artēria; akin to Greek aortē aorta

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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artery Synonyms

Synonyms

arterial, way, avenue, boulevard, carriageway [British], drag, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, route, row, street, thoroughfare, thruway, trace, turnpike

Related Words

causeway; autobahn, autoroute, autostrada, dual carriageway [chiefly British], interstate, motorway [chiefly British], superhighway; beltway, bypass, parkway, ring road [chiefly British]; corniche, switchback; through street; high street [British], Main Street; backstreet, branch, bystreet, byway, crossroad, secondary road, shunpike, side road, side street; alley, alleyway; circle, lane, laneway [British], mews [chiefly British], place; close [chiefly British], cul-de-sac, dead end; corridor; track, trail

ARTERY Defined for English Language Learners

artery

noun

Definition of artery for English Language Learners

: any one of the tubes that carry blood from the heart to all parts of the body
: a large road, river, railroad line, etc.

ARTERY Defined for Kids

artery

noun ar·tery \ ˈär-tə-rē \

Definition of artery for Students

plural arteries

1 :one of the branching tubes that carry blood from the heart to all parts of the body

2 :a main road or waterway

Medical Dictionary

artery

noun ar·tery \ ˈärt-ə-rē \

medical Definition of artery

plural arteries

:any of the tubular branching muscular- and elastic-walled vessels that carry blood from the heart through the body

Illustration of artery

Learn More about artery

See words that rhyme with artery Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for artery Spanish Central: Translation of artery Nglish: Translation of artery for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of artery for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about artery

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ARTERY Defined for English Language Learners

artery

Definition of artery for English Language Learners

ARTERY Defined for Kids

artery

Definition of artery for Students

Medical Dictionary

artery

medical Definition of artery

Illustration of artery

Learn More about artery

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