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

The island lies off Iran's southern coast, near the Strait of Hormuz, the vital artery for oil and gas that has become a flashpoint in the war. — Jack Sommers, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026

The Andes, which usually loom imposingly over the skyline, are concealed behind thick clouds, and the Mapocho River, which cuts through the city like an artery, is close to bursting its banks. — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026

Breast arterial calcification is calcium buildup in the walls of medium-sized arteries that carry blood through the breast. — Matthew Nudy, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2026

Aneurysms can develop in different parts of the body, including the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 5 Nov. 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