arterial

1 of 2

adjective

ar·​te·​ri·​al är-ˈtir-ē-əl 

1

a

: of or relating to an artery

b

: relating to or being the bright red blood present in most arteries that has been oxygenated in lungs or gills

2

: of, relating to, or constituting through traffic

arterially

är-ˈtir-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

arterial

2 of 2

noun

: a through street or highway

Synonyms

Noun

• artery
• avenue
• boulevard
• carriageway [British]
• drag
• drive
• expressway
• freeway
• high road
• highway
• pass
• pike
• road
• roadway
• route
• row
• street
• thoroughfare
• thruway
• trace
• turnpike
• way

Examples of arterial in a Sentence

Noun

one of the main arterials connecting the airport with the city

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Since the 1990s, the convenient fingertip clamps have come to stand in for many uses of arterial blood gas readings, which are the gold standard for determining oxygen levels but dangerous if not done carefully. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2024

The city commissioned engineering firm WSP to study safety measures on 38th Street, a major arterial road connecting Indianapolis' east and west sides. —Michael McDaniel, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Sep. 2024

Noun

In San Antonio, for instance, the city negotiated for years with the Texas DOT to add sidewalks and bike lanes to Broadway, a state arterial with seven lanes. —David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024

The second- and third-most impactful factors were wolf predation and parasitism by carotid arterial worms (E. schneideri). —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French and Medieval Latin; Middle French arterial, borrowed from Medieval Latin artēriālis, from Latin artēria — more at artery + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of arterial entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1920, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing arterial

• intra-arterial

Kids Definition

arterial

adjective

ar·​te·​ri·​al

är-ˈtir-ē-əl

1

a

: of or relating to an artery

b

: being the bright red oxygen-rich blood present in most arteries

2

: of, relating to, or being routes for through traffic

arterial highways

arterially

-ē-ə-lē

adverb

Medical Definition

arterial

adjective

ar·​te·​ri·​al är-ˈtir-ē-əl 

1

: of or relating to an artery

2

: relating to or being the bright red blood present in most arteries that has been oxygenated in lungs or gills compare venous sense 3

arterially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb