rete

[ree-tee]

noun

plural

retia 

1. a pierced plate on an astrolabe, having projections whose points correspond to the fixed stars.

2. a network, as of fibers, nerves, or blood vessels.

rete

/ ˈriːtɪ /

noun

1. anatomy any network of nerves or blood vessels; plexus

Other Word Forms

• retial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rete¹

1350–1400; Middle English riet < Latin rēte net

Word History and Origins

Origin of rete¹

C14 (referring to a metal network used with an astrolabe): from Latin rēte net

Example Sentences

As described in a new paper published in Science, it’s all thanks to specialized networks of blood vessels known as “retia mirabilia.”

From Scientific American

Crucially, when blood is pumped into the animal's gills to collect oxygen, heat loss is minimised by a dense, intertwined network of blood vessels called a rete mirabile.

From BBC

During a dissection, Wegner noticed that the gills were sporting the same kind of blue and red blood vessels, called retia mirabilia, that tuna and sharks use to heat parts of their bodies.

From The Verge

This arrangement of paired arteries and veins is known as a rete mirabile, or “wonderful net,” and often functions as a countercurrent heat exchanger in other species.

From Science Magazine

This network, called a rete mirabile, was described in the devil rays 30 years ago.

From BBC