artery

noun

ar·​tery ˈär-tə-rē 

ˈär-trē

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

Synonyms of artery

• highway
• thoroughfare
• road
• freeway
• street
• arterial
• route
• expressway
• carriageway
• roadway
• boulevard
• turnpike

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

However, price spikes returned in July after Washington responded to Iranian attacks on shipping in the key maritime artery of the Strait of Hormuz. — Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Iran rejected Oman's proposal to evenly divide control of shipping through the critical artery, demanding an arrangement that gives it total oversight of inbound traffic and partial oversight over outbound lanes. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 July 2026

Because shark teeth can easily tear through major arteries, veins and tendons, uncontrolled blood loss is the biggest immediate threat. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

The world’s largest lake also serves as a vital artery in Russia’s war against Ukraine. — Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing artery

• brachiocephalic artery
• carotid artery
• cerebral artery
• coronary artery
• coronary artery bypass
• coronary artery bypass graft
• coronary artery bypass grafting
• coronary artery disease
• deep temporal artery
• femoral artery
• innominate artery
• middle temporal artery
• pulmonary artery
• subclavian artery
• superficial temporal artery
• temporal artery
• temporal artery thermometer

Kids Definition

artery

noun

ar·​tery ˈärt-ə-rē 

plural arteries

1

: one of the tube-shaped branching muscular-walled and elastic-walled vessels that carry blood from the heart to all parts of the body

2

: a channel (as a river or highway) of transportation or communication

especially : the main channel in a branching system

Medical Definition

artery

noun

ar·​tery ˈärt-ə-rē 

plural arteries

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