vertebral artery

vertebral artery (plural vertebral arteries)

1. (anatomy) A 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.

   Hyponyms: anterior spinal artery, posterior inferior cerebellar artery, posterior spinal artery

• costocervical trunk
• dorsal scapular artery
• internal thoracic artery
• thyrocervical trunk

• “vertebral artery”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.