What does artery mean?
An artery is one of the thick-walled blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart and distribute it throughout the body. Most arteries transport oxygen-rich blood — the notable exception being the pulmonary arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs. Arteries are muscular and elastic, allowing them to withstand the high pressure produced by each heartbeat, and their health is central to human wellbeing: conditions such as atherosclerosis, in which arteries narrow and harden, are among the most common causes of serious illness worldwide. Beyond anatomy, the word has a well-established figurative life, used to describe major roads, railways, or other channels that keep commerce and movement flowing, as when a highway is called a city's main artery. Derived forms include the adjective 'arterial' and the diminutive 'arteriole'. The word entered English via Latin from Greek.
Any of the muscular-walled tubes forming part of the circulatory system by which blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body.
"Blood flowed freely through the artery once the clot was removed."
In anatomy, the pulmonary arteries are the exception to the rule that arteries carry oxygenated blood.
A principal road, railway, or route along which traffic or goods flow; a vital channel of communication or trade.
"The canal was once the commercial artery of the entire valley."
Standard English plural, formed by adding -ies to the singular.
"The doctor explained that plaque had narrowed several of his arteries."
For nearly 1,500 years, physicians believed arteries carried air rather than blood — the word itself comes from the Greek arteria, meaning 'windpipe'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of artery
The word 'artery' comes from the Greek 'artēria', which originally referred to the windpipe or air passages. Ancient Greek physicians, notably Aristotle and later Galen, believed that arteries contained air rather than blood — a misconception reflected in the word's very origin, since the vessels were observed to be empty of blood after death. The term passed into Latin as 'arteria' and entered English in late Middle English, becoming established by the early modern period. It shares its root with the adjective 'arterial' and with medical compounds such as 'arteriosclerosis' and 'arteritis'.
Related word forms
How artery is actually used
In medical contexts, 'artery' is precise and technical. In everyday speech it appears most often in health discussions (heart disease, cholesterol) or in figurative use describing busy roads ('the city's main arteries'). The plural is 'arteries'.
Easily confused with artery
An artery carries blood away from the heart, while a vein carries blood back toward it.
'Arteria' is the Latin anatomical term; in English the standard word is simply 'artery', so the two should not be mixed.