The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. 2002.
arteriosclerosis
(ahr-teer-ee-oh-skluh-ROH-sis) A disease commonly called hardening of the arteries. In arteriosclerosis, the walls of the arteries thicken and harden. The loss of flexibility results in a lessening of the flow of blood to the various organs of the body. (Compareatherosclerosis; seecirculatory system.)