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:
The A66, which is the major artery through Teesside and the location of the crash is surrounded by industrial units and factories, remained closed on Sunday.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
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
The Rhine, a key artery for many industries in Germany, has fallen to record lows amid soaring summer temperatures and little rainfall, including around a major Thyssenkrupp plant in the western city of Duisburg.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 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
“We can’t patch an artery like an inner tube. By the way, how do you get him to let you take his blood pressure?”
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Gyirong had also become one of the main arteries linking Nepal and China.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Crucially it sits very close to the carotid arteries which are vital vessels that supply blood to the brain, and the optic nerves that control vision.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Major arteries for trade and agriculture across the continent—including the Rhine, Danube and Po—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
Thursday’s break was on a riveted steel pipe from 1916 that is part of the system of major arteries that deliver water from reservoirs and tanks to smaller distribution mainlines across Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
He could feel it surge into his arteries.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
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.
