vein

American  

[veyn] / veɪn /

noun

1. one of the system of branching vessels or tubes conveying blood from various parts of the body to the heart.

2. (loosely) any blood vessel.

3. one of the riblike thickenings that form the framework of the wing of an insect.

4. one of the strands or bundles of vascular tissue forming the principal framework of a leaf.

5. any body or stratum of ore, coal, etc., clearly separated or defined.

   a rich vein of coal.

6. a body or mass of igneous rock, deposited mineral, or the like occupying a crevice or fissure in rock; lode.

7. a natural channel or watercourse beneath the surface of the earth.

8. the water running through such a channel.

9. a streak or marking, as of a different shade or color, running through marble, wood, etc.

10. a condition, mood, or temper.

    a vein of pessimism.

11. a tendency, quality, or strain traceable in character, conduct, writing, etc.; manner or style.

    to write in a poetic vein.

    Synonyms:

    thread, hint, touch, streak, tone

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verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with veins.

2. to mark with lines or streaks suggesting veins.

3. to extend over or through in the manner of veins.

   Broad new highways vein the countryside.

vein British  

/ veɪn /

noun

1. any of the tubular vessels that convey oxygen-depleted blood to the heart Compare pulmonary vein artery

2. any of the hollow branching tubes that form the supporting framework of an insect's wing

3. any of the vascular strands of a leaf

4. a clearly defined mass of ore, mineral, etc, filling a fault or fracture, often with a tabular or sheetlike shape

5. an irregular streak of colour or alien substance in marble, wood, or other material

6. a natural underground watercourse

7. a crack or fissure

8. a distinctive trait or quality in speech, writing, character, etc; strain

   a vein of humour

9. a temporary disposition, attitude, or temper; mood

   the debate entered a frivolous vein

10. a parting in hair

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verb

1. to diffuse over or cause to diffuse over in streaked patterns

2. to fill, furnish, or mark with or as if with veins

vein Scientific  

/ vān /

1. Any of the blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart from the body's cells, tissues, and organs. Veins are thin-walled and contain valves that prevent the backflow of blood. All veins except the pulmonary vein carry blood with low levels of oxygen.

2. One of the narrow, usually branching tubes or supporting parts forming the framework of an insect's wing or a leaf. Veins in insect wings carry hemolymph and contain a nerve. Veins in leaves contain vascular tissue, with the xylem usually occurring on the upper side of the vein (bringing in water and nutrients) and the phloem on the lower side (carrying away food).

3. See more at leaf venation

4. A long, narrow deposit of mineral or rock that fills the void formed by a fracture or fault in another rock. The mineralogy of the host rock surrounding the vein is often altered where it is in contact with the vein because of chemical reactions between the two rock types.

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Other Word Forms

• intervein verb (used with object)
• interveinal adjective
• subvein noun
• unveined adjective
• veinal adjective
• veinless adjective
• veinlike adjective
• veiny adjective

Etymology

Origin of vein

1250–1300; Middle English veine < Old French < Latin vēna vein of the body, channel, ore deposit

Example Sentences

In November, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug for use in patients with macular edema following retinal vein occlusion, a condition where leaky blood vessels in the eye cause swelling.

From Barron's

Ultrasounds of his veins showed that the president has “chronic venous insufficiency,” according to a memo.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now the late-night animation channel has a new offering: “Haha, You Clowns,” which is much in the same vein of saccharine sincerity mixed with awkward absurdity.

From Salon

And that plethora of content has turned Hallmark into a Christmas juggernaut, fueling competitors such as Lifetime and Netflix, which also produce holiday romantic comedies in the vein of Hallmark movies.

From Los Angeles Times

Rupert's been described to me, at 94, as still "the sharpest person in the room" and a "phenomenon who loves papers and has ink in his veins".

From BBC

Related Words

• hair
• lode
• nerve
• seam
• stripe