coronary

From Latin corōnārius, from corōna (“crown”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔɹənɛɹi/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒɹən(ə)ɹi/

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coronary (comparative more coronary, superlative most coronary)

1. (obsolete) Pertaining to a crown or garland.
   • 1659, John Pearson, Exposition of the Creed:

     The coronary thorns did not only express the scorn of the imposers by that figure into which they were contrived, but did also pierce his tender and sacred temples to a multiplicity of pains, by their numerous acuminations.

   • 1684, Thomas Browne, Of Garlands and Coronary Plants:

     The catalogue of coronary plants is not large in Theophrastus.

2. (anatomy) Encircling something (like a crown), especially with regard to the arteries or veins of the heart.

coronary (plural coronaries)

1. (anatomy, medicine) Any of the coronary vessels; a coronary artery or coronary vein.
2. (medicine) Ellipsis of coronary thrombosis..

   Synonym: heart attack

   Manny had a coronary last week, followed by a triple bypass.

   • 2020 May 30, Thomas L. Friedman, “How We Broke the World”, in New York Times‎:

     Before each crisis I mentioned, we first experienced what could be called a “mild” heart attack, alerting us that we had gone to extremes and stripped away buffers that had protected us from catastrophic failure. In each case, though, we did not take that warning seriously enough — and in each case the result was a full global coronary.

3. A small bone in the foot of a horse.