Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
hepatic artery

hepatic artery

1 4.8
A blood vessel that carries blood to the liver
  • noun
  • /hɪˈpætɪk ˈɑrteri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arteria hepática
  • Surgeons carefully identified and clamped the hepatic artery to prevent excessive bleeding during the operation.

Examples

  • We injected a small squad into the hepatic artery, which supplies blood to the liver and other nearby organs.

    Blog text (12)

  • The hepatic artery carries oxygen-rich blood directly from the heart to the liver.

  • Damage to the hepatic artery can lead to serious complications due to reduced blood supply to the liver.

Synonyms

arteria hepatica
vshepatic artery
  • Specialized
7.1

A blood vessel that carries blood to the liver

refers only to a single artery rather than multiple

Surface Forms

hepatic artery singular
hepatic arteries plural

Morphology

hepatic + artery

The phrase is directly compositional: 'hepatic' means 'liver-related' and 'artery' is a blood vessel, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes an artery associated with the liver. Although 'hepatic' is a medical adjective and somewhat technical, the semantic combination is straightforward and supported by cognates in many languages, making the meaning transparent to learners who know the parts.

Etymology

Hepatic artery comes from old Greek words: hepatic comes from a Greek word for the 'liver' and artery means a 'blood vessel'. So hepatic artery literally names the vessel that carries blood to the liver.