arteriole
noun
ar·te·ri·ole är-ˈtir-ē-ˌōl 
: any of the small terminal twigs of an artery that ends in capillaries
arteriolar
är-ˌtir-ē-ˈō-ˌlär
adjective -lər
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from French and New Latin; French artériole, borrowed from New Latin artēriola, from Latin artēria artery + -ola, diminutive suffix
First Known Use
1685, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
arteriole
noun
ar·te·ri·ole är-ˈtir-ē-ˌōl
: any of the small terminal twigs of an artery that ends in capillaries