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Arteri- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “artery,” a blood vessel that conveys blood from the heart to any part of the body.

Arteri- is used in some medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Arteri- comes from the Greek ������ŧ��í��, meaning “artery” and “windpipe.” Windpipe? Yep, discover why at our entry for trachea. The word aorta is related to the Greek ������ŧ��í��.

Arteri- is a variant of arterio-, which loses its -o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our 51�Թ�s That Use arterio- article.

One example of a word featuring arteri- is arteriectomy, the “excision of part of an artery,” a surgical procedure.

Arteri-, as we’ve seen, refers to arteries, and -ectomy means “excision.” So, arteriectomy literally translates to “artery removal.”

In some instances, arterio- loses both its final vowels, -io-, when combining with other word forms or elements. Arteritis, meaning “inflammation of an artery,” is one example.

What are some words that use the combining form arteri-?

• arteriarctia
• arteriectasis

What are some other forms that arteri- may be commonly confused with?

• arthr-
• archi-

The word ectasis, or ectasia, can refer to dilation. With this in mind, what is arteriectasis?