'arterial-like' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'arterial' and the suffix '-like', where 'arterial' comes ultimately from Latin 'arteria' meaning 'artery' and '-like' derives from Old English 'lic' meaning 'similar'.

'arterial' changed from Latin 'arteria' (via Medieval Latin and Middle English) into the adjective 'arterial' (with suffix '-al'), and later Modern English formed the compound 'arterial-like' by adding the productive element '-like' (from Old English 'lic'), yielding the sense 'similar to an artery'.

Initially, the elements meant 'artery' and 'similar to' respectively; combined in Modern English they produce the descriptive meaning 'resembling an artery' (including metaphorical senses such as 'serving as a main channel').