Meanings
nounvertebral artery (plural vertebral arteries)
plural vertebral arteries
- anatomyA large branch of the subclavian artery that ascends through the foramina in the transverse processes of each of the cervical vertebrae except the last one or two, enters the cranium through the foramen magnum, and unites with the corresponding artery of the opposite side to form the basilar artery.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe first branch of the subclavian artery; divided into four parts
Similar
arteria vertebralis
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 椎動脈 /椎动脉
- 椎動脈 /椎动脉 (zhuī dòngmài)branch of the subclavian artery
Finnish nikamavaltimo
- nikamavaltimobranch of the subclavian artery
Cite this entry
APA
vertebral artery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vertebral%20artery
MLA
“vertebral artery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vertebral%20artery. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vertebral artery,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vertebral%20artery.
Source: vertebral artery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.