coronary
/'kɔrənəri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
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.
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
- surrounding like a crown (especially of the blood vessels surrounding the heart)
- coronary arteries
Noun
- obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery by a blood clot (thrombus)