ar·ter·y (är?t?-r?)n. pl. ar·ter·ies 1. Anatomy Any of the muscular elastic tubes that form a branching system and that carry blood away from the heart to the cells, tissues, and organs of the body.2. A major route of transportation into which local routes flow: Traffic was heavy on the central artery.[Middle English arterie, from Latin art?ria, from Greek art?ri?, windpipe, artery; see wer- in Indo-European roots.]Word History: The changed meaning of the word artery provides a glimpse into the history of medical science. The word is derived from the ancient Greek art?ri?, a word originally applied to any of the vessels that emanated from the chest cavity, including arteries, veins, and the bronchial tubes. The difference in the functions of these vessels was not yet known; because they were all empty in cadavers, early anatomists supposed they all carried air. As medical knowledge advanced, however, students of anatomy realized that arteries carry blood and only the windpipe and bronchial tubes carry air. To specify the windpipe, they coined the phrase art?ri? trakheia, “rough artery,” referring to its rough cartilaginous structure. The adjective trakheia, “rough,” entered modern English as trachea, the current medical term for the windpipe.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.artery (???t?r?) n, pl -teries1. (Anatomy) any of the tubular thick-walled muscular vessels that convey oxygenated blood from the heart to various parts of the body. Compare pulmonary artery, vein2. a major road or means of communication in any complex system[C14: from Latin art?ria, related to Greek aort? the great artery, aorta]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014ar?ter?y (??r t? ri) n., pl. -ter?ies. 1. a blood vessel that conveys blood from the heart to any part of the body. 2. a main channel or highway, esp. of a connected system with many branches. [1350?1400; Middle English