Skip to main content
ciliary artery

ciliary artery

7.4
A blood vessel that carries blood to the middle layer at the back of the eye
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪl.i.ɛr.i ˈɑːr.t̬ɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arteria ciliar
  • Damage to a ciliary artery can impair vision by reducing blood flow to the choroid.

Examples

  • Surgeons must be careful not to damage the ciliary artery during procedures.

  • The ophthalmologist examined the ciliary artery for signs of disease during the eye surgery.

  • Inflammation involving a ciliary artery may lead to severe ocular discomfort and visual disturbances.

  • The ciliary artery plays a crucial role in eye health.

  • The ophthalmologist examined the ciliary artery for signs of disease during the eye surgery.

  • Damage to a ciliary artery can impair vision by reducing blood flow to the choroid.

  • Surgeons must be careful not to damage the ciliary artery during procedures.

Synonyms

arteria ciliaris
vsciliary artery
  • Specialized
9.9

A blood vessel that supplies blood to the layer at the back of the eye

include a wider area by also supplying other nearby eye structures

Surface Forms

Morphology

ciliary + artery

The noun phrase is a straightforward composition of 'ciliary' (relating to the ciliary body of the eye) + 'artery' (a blood vessel), so the meaning — an artery associated with the ciliary/eye structures — follows directly from the constituents. The adjective+noun structure and equivalent formations in many languages (e.g., Spanish 'arteria ciliar') make the relation predictable for a learner who already knows both words, even though the term is specialized.

Etymology

Ciliary artery comes from an old word for 'eyelash'; ciliary points to the area near the lashes and artery means 'blood vessel'. So ciliary arteries are the small vessels that bring blood to parts of the eye.