Pronunciation: ' d ə k-t ə s-är- ˌ tir- ē - ' ō -s ə s
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, literally, arterial duct
Date: 1811
: a short broad vessel in the fetus that connects the pulmonary artery with the aorta and conducts most of the blood directly from the right ventricle to the aorta bypassing the lungs