cerebral artery

noun

plural cerebral arteries

: any of the arteries supplying the cerebral cortex

Ischemic stroke results from a decrease in the blood flow to the brain following a blockage of a cerebral artery.

—Nanette Hock

Examples of cerebral artery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the cerebral artery flow model in the lab, Heit says, the milli-spinner was 100% effective at removing clots in more than 500 attempts. —Ani Freedman, Fortune, 27 June 2025

Eddy’s blockage was in a vessel on the brain called the middle cerebral artery, which carries fresh blood to the brain. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2025

It then was attached to the middle cerebral artery, which branches off of the carotid artery. —Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2024

The clot was extracted from his middle cerebral artery and pulled out through the incision in his groin. —Eva Holland, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

cerebral artery

noun

: any of the arteries supplying the cerebral cortex:

a

: an artery that arises from the internal carotid artery, forms the anterior portion of the circle of Willis where it is linked to the artery on the opposite side by the anterior communicating artery, and passes on to supply the medial surfaces of the cerebrum

called also anterior cerebral artery

b

: an artery that arises from the internal carotid artery, passes along the lateral fissure, and supplies the lateral surfaces of the cerebral cortex

called also middle cerebral artery

c

: an artery that arises by the terminal forking of the basilar artery where it forms the posterior portion of the circle of Willis and passes on to supply the lower surfaces of the temporal and occipital lobes

called also posterior cerebral artery