vena cava
Americannoun
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venae cavae
plural
noun
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venae cavae
plural
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Either of two large veins that carry blood with low levels of oxygen to the right atrium of the heart.
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◆ The superior vena cava receives blood from the brain and upper limbs or forelimbs.
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◆ The inferior vena cava drains blood from the trunk and lower limbs or hindlimbs and is the largest vein in the body.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of vena cava
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin vēna cava, literally “hollow vein”
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.
Parkhurst put a tiny tube through an incision into the patient’s jugular vein in his neck and slowly advanced it down past the heart into the vena cava where the filter was located.
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2022
Was it possible that the extra blood that was supposed to go from the legs to the brain when the man stood up didn’t get there fast enough because of the narrowed vena cava?
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2022
Immediately superior and slightly medial to the opening of the inferior vena cava on the posterior surface of the atrium is the opening of the coronary sinus.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013
The inferior vena cava passes through the caval opening, and the esophagus and attached nerves pass through the esophageal hiatus.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013
Eustachian, ū-stā′ki-an, adj. pertaining to the tube leading from the middle ear to the pharynx, or to the rudimentary valve at the entrance of the inferior vena cava in the heart.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
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