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

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

There, they feed into a second network of capillaries that supply oxygen deeper into the tissue.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

He also concluded I would need to schedule an appointment to have the inside of my nasal passages cauterized in order to burn away the number of leaky capillaries and stop the bleeding.

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos