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perineal artery

perineal artery

7.0
A small blood vessel that supplies blood to the skin and muscles between the anus and genitals
  • noun
  • /ˌpɛrəˈniːəl ˈɑːrtəri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arteria perineal
  • During surgery, the perineal artery must be carefully identified to prevent excessive bleeding.

Examples

  • The perineal artery supplies blood to the skin and muscles of the perineum.

  • Look, if you move too much, l could nick the perineal artery and you...

  • Damage to the perineal artery can compromise circulation in the lower pelvic region.

Synonyms

arteria perinealis
vsperineal artery
  • Specialized
9.9

A blood vessel that carries blood to the skin and muscles between the genitals and anus

is identical in meaning but uses the common English name

Surface Forms

Morphology

perineal + artery

The meaning is directly compositional: 'perineal' means pertaining to the perineum and 'artery' is a blood vessel, so 'perineal artery' straightforwardly denotes an artery serving the perineum. Although the term is technical, the adjectival + noun structure is transparent and predictable for a learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The noun perineal artery comes from the word perineum, which is the area between the genitals and the anus, and artery, which means a blood vessel. So the term simply names 'the blood vessel that supplies the perineum'.