Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to or resembling a crown: Specifically used in anatomy to describe structures that encircle or surround an organ like a crown, most commonly the blood vessels surrounding the heart.
   • Pertaining to the heart's arteries: Denoting the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle itself.

2. Noun:

   • A heart attack: Informal term for a coronary thrombosis or myocardial infarction, which is the obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:

  • The patient underwent surgery for a coronary artery blockage.
  • A healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.

• Noun (Informal):

  • He was rushed to the hospital after suffering a coronary.
  • The stress of the job nearly gave him a coronary.

Advanced Usage

• "Coronary circulation": The system of arteries and veins that supply the heart muscle (myocardium) with oxygen-rich blood and remove deoxygenated blood.
• "Coronary care unit (CCU)": A specialized hospital ward for patients with serious heart conditions, such as heart attacks.

Variants and Related Words

• Coronary artery (n): Either of the two main arteries (the left and right coronary arteries) that branch from the aorta and supply blood to the heart.
• Coronary thrombosis (n): The formation of a blood clot (thrombus) inside a coronary artery, leading to a heart attack.
• Coronary bypass (n): A surgical procedure to create a new route for blood flow to the heart, bypassing a blocked coronary artery.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Coronary has no direct common synonym in its specific anatomical sense. Related descriptive terms include encircling or crown-like.
• Noun (informal): Heart attack, myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac arrest (note: cardiac arrest is a different, though related, condition where the heart stops beating).

Related Phrases and Collocations

• Coronary artery disease (CAD): The most common type of heart disease, caused by the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries.
• Acute coronary syndrome (ACS): A term for a range of conditions associated with sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart.
• Coronary angiogram: An X-ray test that uses dye to visualize the coronary arteries.

Notes on Meaning

• The primary and most frequent use is as an adjective in medical contexts (e.g., ).
• Its use as a noun to mean "heart attack" is common in informal, everyday language but is technically a shorthand for more specific medical terms like .

Adjective

1. surrounding like a crown (especially of the blood vessels surrounding the heart)
   • coronary arteries

Noun

1. obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery by a blood clot (thrombus)