coronary

American  

[kawr-uh-ner-ee, kor-] / ˈkɔr əˌnɛr i, ˈkɒr- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the human heart, with respect to health.

2. Medicine/Medical.

   1. pertaining to the arteries that supply the heart tissues and originate in the root of the aorta.

   2. encircling like a crown, as certain blood vessels.

3. of or like a crown.

---

noun

plural

coronaries

1. Pathology. a heart attack, especially a coronary thrombosis.

2. a coronary artery.

coronary British  

/ ˈkɒrənərɪ /

adjective

1. anatomy designating blood vessels, nerves, ligaments, etc, that encircle a part or structure

---

noun

1. short for coronary thrombosis

coronary Scientific  

/ kôr′ə-nĕr′ē /

1. Relating to or involving the heart.

---

coronary Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for the heart or the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.

---

Discover More

The word coronary is often used by itself in an informal sense to refer to a heart attack or coronary thrombosis.

Other Word Forms

• postcoronary
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of coronary

1600–10; < Latin corōnārius, equivalent to corōn ( a ) crown + -ārius -ary; in reference to the heart, extended from coronary artery, coronary vein, etc.

Explanation

In medical terminology, coronary refers to the protective ring of blood vessels surrounding the heart and supplying it with oxygen and other nutrients. Coronary is generally used as a short term for coronary thrombosis, in other words a heart attack. Thrombosis is the act of those vessels clogging up. So cut back on the French fries and hit that exercise bike. The term coronary comes from the Latin word corona for crown, meaning king. In medieval times it was the duty of the curuner to protect the local interests of the crown, and so the term coronary was later developed by doctors to describe the way the blood vessels around the heart protected it.

Example Sentences

"The numbers of strokes have dropped over that five-year period. Coronary heart disease numbers have dropped," he says.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025

Coronary disease was the second leading cause, accounting for 14% of deaths, a figure that was up by 22%.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025

Coronary heart disease is a major global health problem, especially among people with type 2 diabetes.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024

Coronary heart disease was the second leading cause of death in the first year of the pandemic, accounting for 309 deaths and an increase of almost 30% from the previous year, the report said.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 23, 2022

"Coronary thrombosis," the intern diagnosed, "but that's just an educated guess. In simple language: heart attack."

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

Related Words

• cardiovascular disease
• congestive heart failure