Word
coronary
Phoneticscoro·nary
US/ˈkɔɹəˌnɛɹi/
UK/kˈɒɹənəɹi/
Definitions
01relating to the heart's blood vessels
adj. relating to the arteries that surround the heart and supply it with blood.
adj. relating to or denoting the arteries which surround and supply the heart muscle. The term derives from the Latin 'coronarius', meaning crown-like.
“The doctor explained that he had coronary heart disease, which meant his arteries were narrow.”
“Advanced coronary imaging revealed significant plaque buildup in the left anterior descending artery, necessitating immediate surgical intervention.”
Technical
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it modifies, such as 'artery', 'disease', or 'bypass'.
02a heart attack
n. a sudden blockage of blood to the heart, often called a heart attack.
n. a coronary thrombosis; a blockage of the flow of blood to the heart caused by a blood clot in a coronary artery.
“He had a coronary last year but has since made a full recovery.”
“The patient was rushed to the emergency department after suffering a massive coronary while at work.”
Informal · British English
Teaching tip
In informal British English, this is often used as a shorthand for a heart attack; in American English, 'heart attack' is much more common.
Synonyms
03crown-like
adj. shaped like a crown or garland.
adj. pertaining to or resembling a crown or garland; encircling a part of the body.
“The ancient text described a coronary wreath placed upon the victor's head.”
“The coronary ligament of the liver serves to attach the organ to the inferior surface of the diaphragm.”
Archaic · Technical
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“If they’re 65, with advanced coronary artery disease and diabetes, that actually is too high and they need to be on a statin.” “Researchers analysed the scans using artificial intelligence and were able to successfully identify women with coronary heart disease, high blood pressure or who had suffered a stroke.” Etymology
From Latin corōnārius, from corōna (“crown”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/coronary