artery

noun

ar·tery | \ ˈär-tə-rē

, ˈär-trē \

plural arteries

Definition of artery

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

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about artery

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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 on the Web In an interview with The Washington Post, chief medical examiner Francisco J. Diaz said Sicknick suffered two strokes at the base of his brainstem caused by a clot in an artery. — Victoria Albert, CBS News, "Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes after defending Capitol on January 6, medical examiner says," 20 Apr. 2021 Diaz said Sicknick suffered two strokes at the base of the brain stem caused by a clot in an artery that supplies blood to that area of the body. — Peter Hermann, Anchorage Daily News, "Capitol Police officer died of stroke one day after Jan. 6 riot, D.C. chief medical examiner rules," 19 Apr. 2021 February 1988 - Undergoes surgery to repair an aneurysm in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. — Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, "Joe Biden Fast Facts," 15 Apr. 2021 An entire artery was derived from a couple Van Morrison songs that continues to feed the great poets of rock & roll. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, "‘You Met a Leprechaun’: Read Rickie Lee Jones’ Surreal Van Morrison Meetup in Book Excerpt," 12 Apr. 2021 During the confrontation, Nunez stabbed the officer in the leg, hitting an artery, police said. — John Lee, Fox News, "Long Island cop in critical condition after being stabbed during traffic stop," 12 Apr. 2021 Diaz said Sicknick suffered two strokes at the base of the brain stem caused by a clot in an artery that supplies blood to that area of the body. — Washington Post, "Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died from strokes one day after Jan. 6 riot, D.C. chief medical examiner rules," 20 Mar. 2021 Reagan was diagnosed with spontaneous coronary artery dissection, a condition where a lining in an artery of the heart tears, preventing or slowing blood flow to the heart. — Nikesha Elise Williams, SELF, "The Crucial Role of Heart Health in Black Maternal Mortality," 10 Mar. 2021 Order artery-slicking offerings including cheesesteak eggrolls, Buffalo wings, queso, mac-and-cheese burgers, fried pickles, and cheesecake. — Kara Baskin, BostonGlobe.com, "Guy Fieri brings Flavortown to Boston, a new bagel shop comes to Jamaica Plain, and a beloved bar returns," 11 Feb. 2021

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.

History and Etymology for artery

Middle English arterie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French arteire, arterie, borrowed from Latin artēria "trachea, bronchial tubes (in plural artēriae), artery," borrowed from Greek artēría, from ar- (contracted from *awer-), base of aeírein "to join, attach, harness" (of uncertain origin) + -tēr, agentive suffix + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at aorta

Note: Compare, without the second suffix, Greek artḗr "something by which a burden is carried" (Septuagint). The semantic relation between the verb aeírein and the sense "trachea" parallels that between the verb and the derivative aortḗ "aorta, bronchial tubes" (see aorta). The extension of the meaning from "trachea" to "artery" is presumably because the arteries were believed to carry air to the extremities of the body as well as blood.

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