artery
Americannoun
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arteries
plural
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Anatomy. a blood vessel that conveys blood from the heart to any part of the body.
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a main channel or highway, especially of a connected system with many branches.
noun
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any of the tubular thick-walled muscular vessels that convey oxygenated blood from the heart to various parts of the body Compare pulmonary artery vein
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a major road or means of communication in any complex system
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of artery
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin artēria, from Greek artēría “windpipe, trachea, artery”; see aorta
Explanation
An artery is a major blood vessel that carries blood away from your heart. For a healthy heart, keep your arteries clean! The word artery comes from the Greek arteria, which means "windpipe." In ancient times, an artery was thought to be a kind of air duct, because after someone dies, their arteries are empty of blood. Today we know that arteries (and veins) perform a vital job, constantly moving blood around our bodies. Systems of rivers or roads with networks and branches that resemble the human circulatory system can also be called arteries.
Vocabulary lists containing artery
"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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Red Kayak
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In some parts of the Rhine, Western Europe’s principal economic artery, conditions have forced vessels to carry loads as little as 20% of normal capacity, raising shipping costs and disrupting the supply chain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
A halt to shipping on parts of the key economic artery would deal yet another blow to Germany's economy, already battling problems ranging from the Iran war energy surge and US tariffs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
A 36-inch artery blew like a ruptured aorta, creating a sinkhole and sending 17 million gallons of water rushing through the streets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Peripheral artery disease occurs when narrowed blood vessels reduce circulation to the limbs.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
“I think there’s an artery there, in his leg. And that dæmon...”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Major arteries for trade and agriculture across the continent are now at record low levels, disrupting freight transportation, forcing nuclear power plants to shut reactors and eroding agricultural productivity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
A stent is a small wire tube that can be inserted into coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart, if they have become narrowed or blocked.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Over time, regular resistance training can help lower blood pressure and keep arteries flexible rather than stiff, which protects against cardiovascular disease.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
The community relies heavily on funding from surrounding Lee County to staff law enforcement, repave roads and widen arteries connecting Lehigh Acres to the region, said Cecil Pendergrass, chairman of the board of county commissioners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The problem was that my heart, veins, and arteries had gotten used to weightlessness and needed a little while to readjust to gravity.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
