vas deferens

noun

vas def·​er·​ens ˈvas-ˈde-fə-rənz 

-ˌrenz

plural vasa deferentia ˈvā-zə-ˌde-fə-ˈren(t)-sh(ē-)ə 

: a sperm-carrying duct especially of a higher vertebrate that in the human male is a thick-walled tube about two feet (0.61 meters) long that begins at and is continuous with the tail of the epididymis and eventually joins the duct of the seminal vesicle to form the ejaculatory duct

Examples of vas deferens in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The vas deferens feels a bit like a piece of cooked spaghetti. —Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 1 June 2025

The substance is placed in the vas deferens, the muscular tube in the male reproductive system that transports mature sperm to the urethra. —Erin Brodwin, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025

Expected to enter clinical trials in the first quarter of 2025, Plan A uses a hydrogel that acts like a filter to stop sperm from moving through the vas deferens. —Nina Ajemian, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024

Sperm travel from the epididymis to the vas deferens. —Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin vās deferens, literally, "downward-conveying vessel"

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vas deferens

• bens
• cleanse
• dens
• gens
• glens
• hens
• jens
• pens
• tens
• wrens
• zens
• cheyennes

Kids Definition

vas deferens

noun

vas def·​er·​ens ˈvas-ˈdef-ə-rənz 

-ˌrenz

plural vasa deferentia ˌvā-zə-ˌdef-ə-ˈren-ch(ē-)ə 

: a bodily tube especially in a higher vertebrate that serves to carry sperm

Medical Definition

vas deferens

noun

vas def·​er·​ens -ˈdef-ə-rənz, -ˌrenz 

plural vasa deferentia -ˌdef-ə-ˈren-ch(ē-)ə 

: a sperm-carrying duct especially of a higher vertebrate that in humans is a small but thick-walled tube about two feet (0.6 meter) long formed by the union of the vasa efferentia, is greatly convoluted in its proximal portion, begins at and is continuous with the tail of the epididymis, runs in the spermatic cord through the inguinal canal, and descends into the pelvis where it joins the duct of the seminal vesicle to form the ejaculatory duct

called also ductus deferens, spermatic duct