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cervical artery

cervical artery

1 6.0
A blood vessel that carries blood to the muscles of the neck
  • noun
  • /ˈsɜrvɪkəl ˈɑrteri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arteria cervical
  • Surgeons must identify the cervical artery during complex neck procedures.

Examples

  • The cervical artery supplies blood to the neck muscles.

  • Injury to the cervical artery can lead to reduced blood flow in the neck muscles.

  • Blockage of a cervical artery may cause localized muscle weakness.

  • Surgeons carefully examined the cervical arteries during the procedure.

  • The cervical artery is essential for delivering blood to the neck muscles.

  • During the surgery, the doctor carefully examined the cervical artery for any signs of blockage.

  • The cervical artery can become constricted, affecting blood flow to the head and neck.

Surface Forms

Morphology

cervical + artery

The meaning 'an artery that supplies blood to the muscles of the neck' is directly and transparently derived from 'cervical' (pertaining to the neck) + 'artery' (a blood vessel). This adjective+noun anatomical naming pattern is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Cervical artery is a name that tells you what and where it is: cervical means 'of the neck' and artery is a blood vessel that carries blood. So the phrase literally points to the vessel that 'supplies blood' to the muscles of the neck.