carotid

American  

[kuh-rot-id] / kəˈrɒt ɪd /

noun

1. Also called carotid artery.  either of the two large arteries, one on each side of the head, that carry blood to the head and that divide into an external branch supplying the neck, face, and other external parts, and an internal branch supplying the brain, eye, and other internal parts.

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adjective

1. pertaining to a carotid artery.

carotid British  

/ kəˈrɒtɪd /

noun

1. either one of the two principal arteries that supply blood to the head and neck

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adjective

1. of or relating to either of these arteries

Other Word Forms

• carotidal adjective
• intercarotid adjective
• postcarotid adjective

Etymology

Origin of carotid

1660–70; < Greek karōtídes neck arteries, equivalent to karōt ( ikós ) soporific ( kár ( os ) stupor + -ōtikos -otic ) + -ides -id ¹; so called by Galen, who found that their compression causes stupor

Explanation

The adjective carotid relates to the two major arteries that send blood to your head and neck. The carotid arteries are very important to staying conscious and alive. Take care of your carotid arteries! This word is used almost exclusively for the carotid arteries. Those large arteries are vitally important, because they supply blood to your head and neck areas. If the carotid arteries are blocked, you will lose consciousness. If the carotid arteries are severed, you could bleed to death quickly. The root is from a Greek verb meaning stupefy, which makes sense given the stupefying feeling you will get if there's a problem with one of your carotid arteries.

Example Sentences

This discovery could lead to new ways to treat high blood pressure, especially in people with sleep apnoea, where carotid body activity increases when breathing stops during sleep.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

“These statements were lies,” Zapata Rivera alleges in an ongoing civil rights lawsuit he filed against the ICE agent who used the carotid restraint.

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2026

Doctors identified a carotid web in her neck - a rare shelf-like structure that can interrupt blood flow to the brain - as the cause and, in August, they performed surgery to remove it.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2024

The tumor had spread through the thyroid gland, onto the carotid artery and into the tracheal rings.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2024

Dr. Barnes sits in the chair, his finger on Lincoln’s carotid artery, seeking a pulse.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly