capillaries

Cultural

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.)

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.

Scientists estimate the brain contains roughly one billion capillaries, with nearly every neuron connected to its own blood supply.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

“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

Her eyes are so light I can see spiderweb capillaries behind her irises.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023