vas

¹ American  

[vas] / væs /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology, Botany.

plural

vasa

1. a vessel or duct.

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vas- ² American  

1. variant of vaso- before a vowel.

   vasectomy.

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vas- ¹ British  

combining form

1. a variant of vaso-

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vas ² British  

/ væs /

noun

1. anatomy zoology a vessel, duct, or tube that carries a fluid

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Usage

What does vas- mean? Vas- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “vessel,” typically referring to blood vessels, such as veins and arteries. It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy.In some instances, vas- specifically refers to the vas deferens, the duct that carries sperm to the penis.Vas- is a variant of vaso-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use vaso- article.Vas- comes from the Latin vās, meaning “vessel.” The Latin vās is also the source of the word vase, which is, after all, a type of vessel—often for flowers! And the diminutive form of vās is vāsculum, literally “little vessel”; it’s the source of the word vascular, commonly encountered in cardiovascular.Learn more about cardio- at our Words That Use cardio- and Words That Use cardi- articles.

Etymology

Origin of vas

First recorded in 1645–55, vas is from the Latin word vās vessel

Example Sentences

She uses it to make anything from trinket boxes to ornate geometric vases to statuettes of quizzical creatures.

From Los Angeles Times

The month prior, structural weaknesses prompted the partial closure of one of the galleries hosting Greek vases and offices.

From BBC

“People sell those markers, even those little vases you put on them, and melt them down for money,” says Rebecca Meyer, 48, a gravestone conservationist and president of Epoch Preservation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since then she’s made vases, pots and napkin holders, among other items.

From The Wall Street Journal

They had restored thousands of bowls, bottles, vases, cups, jars, jugs, beakers, and plates in more than two hundred different shapes.

From Literature