cervical artery
- noun
- /ˈsɜrvɪkəl ˈɑrteri/
- Specialized
- Surgeons must identify the cervical artery during complex neck procedures.
Examples
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The cervical artery supplies blood to the neck muscles.
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Injury to the cervical artery can lead to reduced blood flow in the neck muscles.
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Blockage of a cervical artery may cause localized muscle weakness.
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Surgeons carefully examined the cervical arteries during the procedure.
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The cervical artery is essential for delivering blood to the neck muscles.
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During the surgery, the doctor carefully examined the cervical artery for any signs of blockage.
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The cervical artery can become constricted, affecting blood flow to the head and neck.
Surface Forms
Morphology
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.