aortic arch

1 5.8

A curved part of the main artery from the heart that sends blood to the head, neck, and arms

noun
/eɪˈɔrtɪk ɑrtʃ/

Specialized

: arco aórtico

The surgeon explained that the aortic arch is crucial for directing blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
level of the aortic arch

Examples

For example, pneumopericardium can appear as a thin radiolucency along the cardiac border or aortic arch.

Academic text (2002)
The cyst extended down to the level of the aortic arch within the left anterior mediastinum.

Academic text (2007)
And that's in the aortic arch coming right out of the left ventricle.
Some surgeries similar to those on the aortic arch are nonetheless serious; however, they will not be considered open-heart.

Blog text (9)
The patients were examined by the breath-hold technique or during shallow breathing from the level of the aortic arch to the lowest hemidiaphragm.

Academic text (2002)
Then it loops posteriorly around either the aortic arch on the left or the subclavian artery on the right.

Academic text (2008)
To study the effects of circulatory flow on the walls of the aortic arch above, or to observe in detail a ventricle in the process of pumping blood.

Academic text (2004)
It extended inferiorly, displacing the trachea to the right and extending into the anterior mediastinum to the level of the aortic arch.

Academic text (2007)
During the procedure, the doctors carefully examined the patient's aortic arch for any abnormalities.
Understanding the anatomy of the aortic arch helps in diagnosing various cardiovascular conditions.

Surface Forms

aortic arch singular

aortic arches plural

Morphology

aortic + arch

The meaning is directly derivable from 'aortic' (relating to the aorta) combined with 'arch' (a curved structure), yielding the curved portion of the aorta between its ascending and descending parts. This is a straightforward compounding of a technical adjective and a common noun and follows regular compositional patterns, so learners who know both constituents can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Aortic arch is a picture name: aortic means 'of the aorta' and arch means 'curve'. The aorta bends over the heart like an arch and that curved part sends blood to the head, neck, and arms, so the name points to that curved section of the main blood vessel.