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vena cava

[ vee-nuh-key-vuh ]
/ ˈvi nə ˈkeɪ və /
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noun, plural ve·nae ca·vae [vee-nee key-vee]. /ˈvi ni ˈkeɪ vi/. Anatomy.
either of two large veins discharging blood into the right atrium of the heart, one (superior vena cava, or precava ) conveying blood from the head, chest, and upper extremities and the other (inferior vena cava or postcava ) conveying blood from all parts below the diaphragm.
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Origin of vena cava

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin vēna cava, literally “hollow vein”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use vena cava in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vena cava

vena cava
/ (ˈkeɪvə) /

noun plural venae cavae (ˈkeɪviː)
either one of the two large veins that convey oxygen-depleted blood to the heart

Word Origin for vena cava

Latin: hollow vein
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for vena cava

vena cava
[ vēnə kāvə ]

Plural venae cavae (nē kā)
Either of two large veins that carry blood with low levels of oxygen to the right atrium of the heart.♦ The superior vena cava receives blood from the brain and upper limbs or forelimbs.♦ The inferior vena cava drains blood from the trunk and lower limbs or hindlimbs and is the largest vein in the body.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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