| arteriole |
a blood vessel located between an artery and a capillary. |
| arteriosclerosis |
a chronic disease of the arteries in which inelastic and thickened vessel walls reduce blood flow. |
| artery |
a vessel that carries blood away from the heart. (Cf. vein.) [2 definitions] |
| artesian well |
a well dug through impermeable strata, reaching water that is under pressure. |
| artful |
cunning or crafty. [3 definitions] |
| arthralgia |
pain in one or more of one's joints. |
| arthritis |
a disease of the joints in which they become painfully inflamed. |
| arthro- |
joint. |
| arthropod |
a class of invertebrates with hard, segmented bodies and jointed legs, including insects, spiders, crustaceans, and myriapods. |
| arthroscope |
an instrument in the shape of a fine tube that is used, in conjunction with fiber optics, for diagnosing and treating ailments of the joint. |
| arthroscopy |
examination of or minor surgery on a joint using an arthroscope. |
| Arthur |
in legend, esp. as codified by Thomas Malory in the sixteenth-century Morte d'Arthur, the King of Britain and the leader of the Knights of the Round Table. |
| artichoke |
a tall thistlelike plant whose flower head, composed of thick, leaflike scales, is cooked and eaten. [2 definitions] |
| article |
a single item or thing, esp. one of a class or group. [4 definitions] |
| Articles of Confederation |
a document created in 1781 that served as a set of guidelines for governing the newly formed United States of America. The Articles of Confederation created a "firm league of friendship" among the thirteen original states and maintained the majority of power in states' hands. It was replaced by the U.S. Constitution in 1789. |
| articular |
of or relating to body joints. |
| articulate |
spoken in clear and distinct words or syllables, or having a tendency to speak clearly and distinctly. [10 definitions] |
| articulated lorry |
(chiefly British) a very large truck, consisting of a cab and freight-hauling trailer, that carries goods over long distances; tractor-trailer; semi. |
| articulation |
the act or process of articulating. [5 definitions] |
| artifact |
any object made by human beings, esp. one of an earlier era. [2 definitions] |
| artifice |
a shrewd or clever trick. [2 definitions] |