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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Carotid

Carotid \Ca*rot"id\, n. [Gr. ?, pl., from ? heavy sleep: cf. F. carotide. The early Greeks believed that these arteries in some way caused drowsiness.] (Anat.) One of the two main arteries of the neck, by which blood is conveyed from the aorta to the head.

Note: [See Illust. of Aorta.]

Carotid

Carotid \Ca*rot"id\, Carotidal \Ca*rot"id*al\, a. (Anat.) Pertaining to, or near, the carotids or one of them; as, the carotid gland.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
carotid

1540s, "pertaining to the two great arteries of the neck," from Greek karotides "great arteries of the neck," plural of karotis, from karoun "plunge into sleep or stupor," because compression of these arteries was believed to cause unconsciousness (Galen). But if this is folk etymology, the Greek word could be from kara "head," related to kranion "skull, upper part of the head," from PIE root *ker- (1) "horn, head" (see horn (n.)).

Wiktionary
carotid

a. Relating to these arteries n. (context anatomy English) Any of a number of major artery in the head and neck.

WordNet
carotid

adj. of or relating to either of the two major arteries supplying blood to the head and neck

Wikipedia

Usage examples of "carotid".

An anesthetist unceremoniously pried open the snooded jaw and sprayed cocaine down the windpipe, while an IV team deftly slipped catheters into the carotid arteries to oxygenate the brain directly after severance.

IV nurse slid his transparent catheters into the carotids and jugulars in preparation for the dangerous interlude between bodies when the heart-lung machine would have to take over.

Several connections dangled loose, but the four main tubes to the carotids and jugulars still seemed to be connected to the smoking, badly leaking heart-lung machine.

When the ligature of the carotid branches began and the neurosurgeons could take a small break, Hamid-Jones saw the circulating nurses touch helmets with the neurosurgery chief, who sent a thoughtful glance in his direction.

There was another touchy moment when the IV nurse slid his transparent catheters into the carotids and jugulars in preparation for the dangerous interlude between bodies when the heart-lung machine would have to take over.

He gently set the body back on the counter and felt for a carotid pulse.

A clot formed inside the heart, eventually got large enough to be caught up in the normal flow of blood, and shot up his carotid artery into his brain.

From there it was pumped straight up his carotid artery into his brain where it caused a massive stroke.

The swift expert chop to the carotid artery temporarily cut off the blood to her brain.

He had taken her by surprise with a karate-type blow, evidenced, the police surgeon told them, by the purple bruises on her neck over the carotid artery and on her forehead, where she had fallen forward and struck her head on the steering wheel.

He grabbed a handful of her hair, lifted her head, and slit the carotid artery.

I begin cutting blood vessels, severing the carotids very low at the apex, moving down to the iliac arteries and veins of the pelvis.

Still in the throes of my rage, I ripped out his left carotid artery with my fingernails, and squeezing him in a fluctuating embrace as if I were manipulating a bellows, I forced the blood out of him in a stream and drank like a man at a fountain.

With Sanchez he managed to secure the carotid artery in his death grip and she was dead within ten seconds.

Joel, who is implying that Sanchez was killed so efficiently by accident, is speaking of the carotid artery in the neck which, if squeezed, instantaneously cuts off the flow of blood to the brain.