/ɑ:ˌtɪəriəʊskləˈrəʊsɪs ||; ɑrˈtɪrɪˌosklɪˈrosɪs/noun [U] (medical医学) a condition in which the walls of theARTERIES(= the tubes that carry blood from the heart to the other parts of the body)become thick and hard, making it difficult for blood to flow 动脉硬化