artery

noun

ar·​tery ˈär-tə-rē 

ˈär-trē

plural arteries

1

: any of the tubular branching muscular- and elastic-walled vessels that carry blood from the heart through the body

2

: a channel (such as a river or highway) of transportation or communication

especially : the main channel in a branching system

Synonyms

• arterial
• 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 artery in a Sentence

He favors local side roads over major arteries.

there's an accident on the main artery into town, so I'll be late

Recent Examples on the Web

Although Joshua seemed healthy prior to the move, he was rushed to a hospital on Friday, March 28, and suffered a heart attack, sepsis and clogged arteries, his mother, Sylvia Johnson, previously told ABC affiliate WSB. —David Chiu, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Depending on the severity, renal artery stenosis can impair kidney function, leading to complications like high blood pressure and kidney failure.1 Causes & Associated Risk Factors Renal artery stenosis most commonly happens when cholesterol plaque builds up in the renal arteries (atherosclerosis). —Anju Goel, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2025

Pulmonary thromboembolism is a condition in which a blood clot moves through arteries to the lungs, stopping blood flow to them, according to the Mayo Clinic. —Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2025

The resulting change in lipids could lead to plaque buildup in your arteries, worsening your chances of a heart attack or stroke. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English arterie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French arteire, arterie, borrowed from Latin artēria "trachea, bronchial tubes (in plural artēriae), artery," borrowed from Greek artēría, from ar- (contracted from *awer-), base of aeírein "to join, attach, harness" (of uncertain origin) + -tēr, agentive suffix + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at aorta

Note: Compare, without the second suffix, Greek artḗr "something by which a burden is carried" (Septuagint). The semantic relation between the verb aeírein and the sense "trachea" parallels that between the verb and the derivative aortḗ "aorta, bronchial tubes" (see aorta). The extension of the meaning from "trachea" to "artery" is presumably because the arteries were believed to carry air to the extremities of the body as well as blood.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing artery

• brachiocephalic artery
• carotid artery
• cerebral artery
• coronary artery
• coronary artery bypass
• coronary artery bypass graft
• coronary artery bypass grafting
• coronary artery disease
• deep temporal artery
• femoral artery
• innominate artery
• middle temporal artery
• pulmonary artery
• subclavian artery
• superficial temporal artery
• temporal artery
• temporal artery thermometer

Kids Definition

artery

noun

ar·​tery ˈärt-ə-rē 

plural arteries

1

: one of the tube-shaped branching muscular-walled and elastic-walled vessels that carry blood from the heart to all parts of the body

2

: a channel (as a river or highway) of transportation or communication

especially : the main channel in a branching system

Medical Definition

artery

noun

ar·​tery ˈärt-ə-rē 

plural arteries

: any of the tubular branching muscular- and elastic-walled vessels that carry blood from the heart through the body