bronchial artery
- noun
- /ˈbrɒŋkiəl ˈɑːrtəri/
- Specialized
- The bronchial artery supplies blood to the lungs.
Examples
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The surgeon carefully isolated the bronchial artery before proceeding with the procedure.
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The anatomy textbook included a detailed diagram showing the bronchial artery and its branches.
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A blockage in a bronchial artery can reduce blood supply to lung tissues.
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Surgeons often examine the bronchial arteries during lung operations.
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The surgeon repaired the damaged bronchial artery during the complex lung operation.
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An increase in blood flow through the bronchial arteries is essential for lung function.
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The doctor explained how the bronchial artery supplies oxygenated blood to the bronchi and surrounding tissues.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is compositionally straightforward: 'bronchial' specifies relation to the bronchi (air passages) and 'artery' names a blood vessel, so together they denote an artery associated with the bronchi. Although medical/technical, the constituents combine predictably and mirror common compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Bronchial artery The noun bronchial artery comes from its parts: bronchial refers to the lung's bronchi, the 'air tubes', and artery means a blood vessel. It runs beside those tubes and 'carries blood' to lung tissues, so the name shows its job.