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a·or·ta

(ā-ôrtə)

n.pl. a·or·tas or a·or·tae(-te)

The main trunk of the systemic arteries, carrying blood from the left side of the heart to the arteries of all limbs and organs except the lungs.

[New Latin, fromGreekāorte, fromāeirein, to lift; see wer-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

a·ortal, a·orticadj.

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aorta

A. arch of aorta

B. abdominal aorta

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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