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portal vein

American  

noun

Anatomy.
  1. the large vein conveying blood to the liver from the veins of the stomach, intestine, spleen, and pancreas.


portal vein British  

noun

  1. any vein connecting two capillary networks, esp in the liver ( hepatic portal vein )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of portal vein

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Samples were taken from the hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the intestine to the liver, and from peripheral blood, which travels from the liver to the heart before circulating through the body.

From Science Daily Dec. 14, 2025

Osaka University researchers discovered liver resident macrophages' pivotal role in defending against gut bacteria and related substances entering via the portal vein, particularly under compromised intestinal barrier conditions.

From Science Daily Apr. 25, 2024

The intestines harbor numerous gut bacteria, and sometimes these bacteria and their related substances can enter the liver through the portal vein.

From Science Daily Apr. 25, 2024

The hepatic portal vein delivers partially deoxygenated blood containing nutrients absorbed from the small intestine and actually supplies more oxygen to the liver than do the much smaller hepatic arteries.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

Venous emboli are those which approach the heart by the peripheral veins of the body or the pulmonary veins, and the liver by the radicles of the portal vein.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

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