vas deferens

noun

vas def·​er·​ens ˈvas-ˈde-fə-rənz How to pronounce vas deferens (audio)
-ˌrenz
: 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web There’s a real vas deferens between the two. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2021 Another nonhormonal method involves reversibly blocking the vas deferens, an organ that transports sperm for ejaculation. Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2022 Studies sponsored by the Male Contraceptive Initiative and Parsemus Foundation are testing hydrogels, a type of polymer that retains water, that block sperm from traveling through the vas deferens. Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2022 Other researchers want to put up a blockade in the vas deferens — a tube between the testicles and urethra — to stop sperm’s passage. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2018 The vas deferens are a pair of hardy tubes that pump sperm from the testes into the urethra. Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 9 Feb. 2022 Two pieces, actually; One vas deferens—the tube that supplies sperm to the urethra—for the left testicle, and another for the right. Jon Irwin, Men's Health, 25 Oct. 2022 Vas-occlusives are a type of non-hormonal contraception that blocks sperm in the vas deferens. Erica Sweeney, Men's Health, 29 Aug. 2022 Contraline’s method involves a permeable hydrogel that’s injected into the vas deferens, the pair of tubes in the male reproductive system that transport sperm. Wired, 24 July 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vas deferens.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vas deferens was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near vas deferens

Cite this Entry

“Vas deferens.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vas%20deferens. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

vas deferens

noun
vas def·​er·​ens ˈvas-ˈdef-ə-rənz How to pronounce vas deferens (audio)
-ˌrenz
plural vasa deferentia ˌvā-zə-ˌdef-ə-ˈren-ch(ē-)ə How to pronounce vas deferens (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce vas deferens (audio)
plural vasa deferentia -ˌdef-ə-ˈren-ch(ē-)ə How to pronounce vas deferens (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on vas deferens

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