artery
/ˈɑːtəri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɑːrtəri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈär-tə-rē ˈär-trē/ (ame, mw)
artery — noun
- arterysingular
- arteriesplural
1. a thick tube that takes blood away from the heart and delivers it to the muscles
a thick tube that takes blood away from the heart and delivers it to the muscles, organs, and other tissues of the body.
Bilal's doctor warned him that fatty food can slowly block the arteries near his heart.
collocation: block / clog the arteries
The surgeon cut a small artery in Talia's leg to take a blood sample.
noun in object position after a verb of medical action
Daily walks helped Eleni keep her arteries healthy after her heart attack last winter.
An artery in Niran's neck was cut during the accident, and he lost blood quickly.
Doctors place a thin tube into a patient's artery to check blood pressure.
- blood vessel
general term; covers both arteries and veins
- vein
carries blood back toward the heart
用法筆記
Often paired with verbs of damage or blockage (block, clog, narrow, cut, harden) and with body-part modifiers (main artery, neck artery). Distinguish from sense 2 (figurative road/route use).
常見錯誤
2. a wide road, railway line, or river along which large numbers of people, vehicle
a wide road, railway line, or river along which large numbers of people, vehicles, or goods move every day, connecting one part of a region to another.
The main artery into the city was blocked after a truck overturned on the bridge.
collocation: main / major artery (into a city)
For centuries the river was the chief artery for trade between the two old towns.
metaphor: river as artery for trade
Christopher avoided the main arteries at rush hour and took back streets to work.
Heavy snow shut down every major artery leading north out of the capital on Tuesday.
The new railway became an important artery linking the farming towns to the busy port.
- thoroughfare
more formal; usually only of roads
- main route
neutral; less vivid than artery
- side street
the opposite for urban roads only
用法筆記
Almost always modified (main artery, major artery, chief artery) and followed by a destination (into / out of / between / linking). Used for roads, railways, rivers, and shipping lanes — anything that moves traffic or trade in large volume. Distinguish from sense 1 (anatomical blood vessel).