a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body
"The surgeon carefully tied off the blocked artery to restore proper blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body."
a major thoroughfare that bears important traffic
"The city's main artery was blocked by heavy rain, causing cars to queue for miles."
Any of the muscular- and elastic-walled blood vessels forming part of the circulation system by which blood is conveyed away from the heart regardless of its oxygenation status; see pulmonary artery.
"The surgeon carefully repaired the damaged artery to restore proper blood flow away from the heart."
In plain English: An artery is a blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood away from your heart to the rest of your body.
"The surgeon rushed to the hospital after learning that his father had suffered a blockage in a major artery."
Usage: An artery carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the rest of the body, except for pulmonary arteries. Do not confuse this term with a vein, which returns deoxygenated blood toward the heart.
The word "artery" comes from the Latin artēria, which originally meant both a windpipe and an artery. It was borrowed into English via Old French from Ancient Greek, where it carried the same dual meaning.