arterial
Americanadjective
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Physiology. pertaining to the blood in the pulmonary vein, in the left side of the heart, and in most arteries, having been oxygenated during its passage through the lungs and being normally bright red.
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Anatomy. of, relating to, or resembling the arteries.
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being or constituting a main route, channel, or other course of flow or access, often with many branches.
an arterial highway; an arterial drainage system.
noun
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arterials
plural
adjective
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of, relating to, or affecting an artery or arteries
arterial disease
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denoting or relating to the usually bright red reoxygenated blood returning from the lungs or gills that circulates in the arteries
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being a major route, esp one with many minor branches
an arterial road
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of arterial
1375–1425; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin artēriālis. See artery, -al 1
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:
They found that people with better aerobic fitness at ages 34 and 52 tended to have less arterial stiffness at age 63.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
“There are speed bumps and arterial stop signs everywhere.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The chosen location was not a stadium, but an urban setting ideal for spreading a visible, continuous wave: the emblematic Paseo de la Reforma, an iconic arterial road inspired by European boulevards.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
One good test, she says, looks for an enzyme called myeloperoxidase, which can indicate arterial inflammation.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
It was horribly depressing—and not just because it was for someone who’d died tragically young and for no particular reason aside from some bad arterial luck.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
“Which offered more land for parking, easier loading and unloading by trucks, convenient access to highways and arterials, and a development context for much larger stores.”
From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2024
Seattle has made strides in bolstering walkability, but there’s more to do, especially along arterials, in an age of speeding and distracted driving.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2023
Interstate highways and wide arterials are now a defining feature of most metropolitan areas, their constant flow of cars spewing pollution into nearby neighborhoods.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2023
The urban forester’s desire for bigger canopies and the street designer’s plan for a real bus shelter cannot be overruled by the transportation department’s desire to keep traffic moving smoothly on urban arterials.
From Slate ● May 22, 2023
The city already has reduced speed limits on most arterials, redesigned dangerous streets like Rainier Avenue, built out more bike lanes, given pedestrians a head start when crossing intersections and more.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2023
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
