adjective
circulatory
SUR-kyuh-luh-tor-ee/ˈsɜːrkjələtɔːri/
Relating to movement around a connected system.
The diagram traces blood through the vessels of the human circulatory system.
Etymology
The 'small ring' root supplies the image of movement through a circuit. Applied to blood, circulatory describes its flow around the body and, by extension, the system serving that flow.
In context
… they travel through the blood or lymph circulatory systems and they form tumors in other parts of the body …
More examples
- The study examines circulatory changes during exercise.
- Engineers designed a circulatory system to move cooling water.
- The pump maintains the apparatus's circulatory flow.
Forms
circulatory
Similar words
- respiratory
- Respiratory concerns breathing and gas exchange; circulatory concerns movement through a system, especially blood flow.