capillaries

Cultural  

1. The tiny blood vessels throughout the body that connect arteries and veins. Capillaries form an intricate network around body tissues in order to distribute oxygen and nutrients to the cells and remove waste substances. (See circulatory system.)

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Example Sentences

“It’s searing pain from all the lactic acid. It floods your system. You blow capillaries in your eyes, you throw up after races,” said Cheek, now an NBC analyst.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

If done properly, it's unlikely to cause you any harm, but Tina warns that "too much pressure can cause bruising or broken capillaries, so be gentle".

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

By demonstrating that metformin can limit changes in both major arteries and small capillaries across different exercise intensities, the researchers highlight how complex these combined treatments can be.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2025

Researchers hope these artificial capillaries will aid in the development of better snakebite treatments while lowering the dependence on animal models.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 5, 2024

Leukocytes become more actively phagocytic, release lysosomal enzymes, turn sticky, and aggregate together in dense masses, occluding capillaries and shutting off the blood supply.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas