vascular
Americanadjective
adjective
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Relating to the vessels of the body, especially the arteries and veins, that carry blood and lymph.
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Relating to or having xylem and phloem, plant tissues highly specialized for carrying water, dissolved nutrients, and food from one part of a plant to another. Ferns and all seed-bearing plants have vascular tissues; bryophytes, such as mosses, do not.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vascular
From the New Latin word vāsculāris, dating back to 1665–75. See vasculum, -ar 1
Explanation
Use the adjective vascular when you're talking about blood vessels. One side effect of long-term smoking is vascular disease. The word vascular comes up in medicine and anatomy whenever there's discussion of the circulatory system, the series of vessels carrying blood around the body. Plants have vascular systems too, to carry water and nutrients throughout their systems. The word vascular comes from the Latin vascularis, "of or pertaining to vessels or tubes."
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.
That transformation promoted vascular fibrosis and increased the buildup of amyloid around blood vessels.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
What has been less clear is why this happens and whether the vascular damage contributes directly to the disease.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Dr. Zaldy Tan, author of a new book with profound insights into aging, memory loss and resilience, was examining an 84-year-old patient with vascular dementia last week in a suite at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
All of these took a toll on the industry, but none of them proved as ruinous as citrus greening, a disease that clogs trees’ vascular systems, choking off water and nutrients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
I have vascular dementia, the doctor told me, and there was some comfort to be had.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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