The British Medical Association (ILLUSTRATED MEDICAL DICTIONARY)
coronary Any structure that encircles like
a crown. The term usually refers to the coronary arteries encircling the heart. It is also sometimes used as a nonmedical term for a heart attack (see myocardial infarction).
coronary artery Either of the 2 main arteries that supply the tissues of the heart with oxygen-rich blood. These arteries, known as the left and right main coronary arteries, arise directly from the aorta. The term coronary artery is also applied to any of the arteries that branch off from the main coronary arteries, such as the left circumflex artery and the left anterior descending artery. Blockage of a coronary artery as a result of athero-sclerosis can lead to myocardial infarction.(See also coronary artery disease.)
