artery

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.

   Grammar: Countable: one artery, two arteries. Often used with 'the' when referring to a specific artery.

   Patterns

   • a major artery
   • blocked artery
   • coronary artery

   The doctor said his arteries were blocked.

   The aorta is the largest artery in the human body.

   Smoking can damage the arteries over time.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A major road or route that carries a lot of traffic or goods.

   Grammar: Countable; often used in the phrase 'a main artery' or 'a traffic artery'.

   Patterns

   • a main artery
   • a traffic artery
   • the city's arteries

   The highway is the main artery connecting the two cities.

   The river serves as an important artery for trade.

   During rush hour, the city's arteries are crowded with cars.

Word forms

Common combinations

coronary artery

He had a blockage in a coronary artery.

blocked artery

A blocked artery can cause a heart attack.

main artery

The main artery into the city was closed for repairs.

traffic artery

The new bridge will ease congestion on this traffic artery.

Synonyms and how they differ

blood vessel

Blood vessel is a general term for any tube that carries blood, including veins; artery specifically means a vessel carrying blood away from the heart.

vein

Vein carries blood toward the heart, usually oxygen-poor; artery carries blood away from the heart, usually oxygen-rich.

highway

Highway is a literal road; artery is figurative for a major route that carries heavy traffic.

Opposites

Word family

arterial adjective

Relating to an artery.

arteriole noun

A small branch of an artery.

arteriosclerosis noun

A condition where arteries become hard and narrow.

Commonly confused: artery or vein?

Practice

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