Coronary

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɔɹənɛɹi/

Definitions

1. Referring to the arteries that provide blood to the heart muscle
2. Pertaining to the vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart tissue
3. Connected with the blood vessels surrounding and nourishing the heart muscle

Etymology: The heart's arteries are wrapped around it like a garland, and that image gave the word its name. Latin "corona" meant "crown" or "wreath," and "coronarius" was the adjective built from it, meaning something like "belonging to a crown or garland." Medieval Latin and later scientific writers applied the idea to anatomy, so the vessels that sit on the surface of the heart, circling its upper edge, came to be called the coronary vessels. The word passed into English as a term of anatomy, where it still names those arteries. Because the heart is the organ these vessels serve, "coronary" became the standard adjective for anything touching on them, and the word is now most often heard in phrases such as "coronary artery disease" and "coronary bypass."

Synonyms: heart-related, cardiac, coronary artery, vascular, circulatory