vena cava

American  

[vee-nuh key-vuh] / ˈvi nə ˈkeɪ və /

noun

Anatomy.

venae cavae plural

1. either of two large veins discharging blood into the right atrium of the heart, one superior vena cava, or precava conveying blood from the head, chest, and upper extremities and the other inferior vena cava or postcava conveying blood from all parts below the diaphragm.

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vena cava British  

/ ˈkeɪvə /

noun

1. either one of the two large veins that convey oxygen-depleted blood to the heart

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vena cava Scientific  

/ vē′nəkā′və /

venae cavae plural

1. Either of two large veins that carry blood with low levels of oxygen to the right atrium of the heart.

2. ◆ The superior vena cava receives blood from the brain and upper limbs or forelimbs.

3. ◆ The inferior vena cava drains blood from the trunk and lower limbs or hindlimbs and is the largest vein in the body.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• venae cavae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vena cava

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin vēna cava, literally “hollow vein”

Example Sentences

Seven years earlier, the man had a CT scan that showed an almost total blockage of his vena cava.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2022

Parkhurst put a tiny tube through an incision into the patient’s jugular vein in his neck and slowly advanced it down past the heart into the vena cava where the filter was located.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2022

The lymph fluid passes through lymph nodes before it returns to the heart via the vena cava.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

They end with the exiting of the renal veins to join the inferior vena cava.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

In the Edentates the remains of the venous valves at the opening of the inferior vena cava are better marked than in other orders.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various