one of the system of branching vessels or tubes conveying blood from various parts of the body to the heart.
(loosely) any blood vessel.
one of the riblike thickenings that form the framework of the wing of an insect.
one of the strands or bundles of vascular tissue forming the principal framework of a leaf.
any body or stratum of ore, coal, etc., clearly separated or defined: a rich vein of coal.
a body or mass of igneous rock, deposited mineral, or the like occupying a crevice or fissure in rock; lode.
a natural channel or watercourse beneath the surface of the earth.
the water running through such a channel.
a streak or marking, as of a different shade or color, running through marble, wood, etc.
a condition, mood, or temper: a vein of pessimism.
a tendency, quality, or strain traceable in character, conduct, writing, etc.; manner or style: to write in a poetic vein.
verb (used with object)
to furnish with veins.
to mark with lines or streaks suggesting veins.
to extend over or through in the manner of veins: Broad new highways vein the countryside.
Origin of vein
1250–1300;Middle Englishveine < Old French < Latinvēna vein of the body, channel, ore deposit
Related formsvein·al, adjectivevein·less, adjectivevein·like, adjectivein·ter·vein, verb (used with object)in·ter·vein·al, adjectivesub·vein, nounun·veined, adjectiveCan be confusedvainvanevein
c.1300, from Old French veine, from Latin vena "a blood vessel," also "a water course, a vein of metal, a person's natural ability or interest," of unknown origin. The mining sense is attested in English from late 14c. (Greek phleps "vein" had the same secondary sense). Figurative sense of "strain or intermixture" (of some quality) is recorded from 1560s; that of "a humor or mood, natural tendency" is first recorded 1570s.
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.
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). See more at leafvenation.
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.
