atherosclerotically
|a-the-ro-scle-ro-tic-al-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˌæθəroʊskləˈrɑtɪkli/
🇬🇧
/ˌæθərəʊskləˈrɒtɪkli/
(atherosclerotic)
artery hardened by plaque
Etymology
'atherosclerotically' ultimately derives from the noun 'atherosclerosis' (formed with the suffix '-al' and adverbial '-ly'). 'Atherosclerosis' comes from Modern Latin/Greek medical formation, specifically from Greek 'athḗra' meaning 'gruel, paste' and 'sklērós' meaning 'hard'.
'athḗra' + 'sklērós' (Greek) → Latin/Neo-Latin 'atherosclerosis' (medical Latin formation) → English 'atherosclerosis' → adjective 'atherosclerotic' → adverb 'atherosclerotically'.
Initially the Greek elements referred to 'gruel-like (ather-) deposits' and 'hardening' (sklērós); over time the compound came to denote the specific medical condition 'hardening of the arteries due to fatty plaque', and the derived adjective/adverb now mean 'relating to or in the manner of that condition'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a manner relating to or caused by atherosclerosis (the formation of fatty plaques and hardening of the arterial walls)
Blood flow was atherosclerotically reduced in the patient's coronary arteries.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/11 02:38