vein

\ ˈvān

Definition of vein

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : blood vessel especially : any of the tubular branching vessels that carry blood from the capillaries toward the heart

2a : any of the vascular bundles forming the framework of a leaf

b : any of the thickened cuticular ribs that serve to stiffen the wings of an insect

3a : a narrow water channel in rock or earth or in ice

b(1) : lode sense 2

(2) : a bed of useful mineral matter

c : lode sense 3

4 : something suggesting veins (as in reticulation) specifically : a wavy variegation (as in marble)

5a : a distinctive mode of expression : style stories in a romantic vein

b : a distinctive element or quality : strain introduced a welcome vein of humor

c : a line of thought or action

6a : a special aptitude inherited an artistic vein

b : a usually transitory and casually attained mood

c : top form thou troublest me; I am not in the vein— William Shakespeare

vein

verb

veined; veining; veins

Definition of vein (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to pattern with or as if with veins

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Examples of vein in a Sentence

Noun the author goes on in that sarcastic vein for pages

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In a similar vein, there are ominous signs for Biden, who’s been left in the dark and without critical intelligence reports regarding COVID-19 and national security issues. — Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Let’s move on, President Trump, for the good of the country," 20 Dec. 2020 In a similar vein, Nobel Prize–winning economist Milton Friedman presciently worried that management would serve causes and interests unrelated to shareholders’ interests. — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, "The Capital Letter: Week of December 7," 12 Dec. 2020 In a similar vein, focus on hiring, training, and retaining talented professionals, and routinely instilling in them an emphasis on the real benefits your product provides for your customers. — Kevin O’brien, Fortune, "The email security market is littered with false claims. How to fix it," 27 Nov. 2020 After the short break for the players to catch their breath and take on some nutrients, the second set began in a similar vein, with both players holding serve. — Ben Morse, CNN, "Dominic Thiem edges Novak Djokovic in thriller to advance to final of ATP Finals," 21 Nov. 2020 For Milwaukee in particular, in a similar vein of Buffalo of Cleveland, part of these games is getting inside the heart of what makes up a city's fan base and overall mentality and feelings that are involved. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "How well do you know Wisconsin sports? This trivia game offers a potential Christmas gift option," 20 Nov. 2020 Atlas has often been critical of economic lockdowns in a similar vein to President Trump. — Mica Soellner, Washington Examiner, "Trump adviser Scott Atlas under fire for 'rise up' comments about Michigan coronavirus restrictions," 16 Nov. 2020 Trump went on to deliver remarks in a similar vein, alleging uncorroborated Democratic corruption and an assortment of other grievances. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "Fox and CNN covered President Trump's falsehood-laden speech but MSNBC quickly drops coverage," 5 Nov. 2020 Underneath all this shimmering play runs a deep vein of vulnerability. — Merve Emre, The New Yorker, "How Leonora Carrington Feminized Surrealism," 21 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Companies are offering marble-look tile in unexpected hues like magenta and green, or with veining in gold or copper. — Washington Post, "`Like theater in tile form’: Tile’s patterns, designs expand," 13 Nov. 2019 Coming up, says Tien: Parker House rolls veined with scallions and shallots, a riff on Chinese scallion pancakes. — Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, "At Emilie’s, chef Kevin Tien wants to throw a dinner party every night," 25 Oct. 2019 Quartzite comes in an array of colors and veining that ranges from subtle to bold. — Jeff Reina, Houston Chronicle, "GHBA Remodelers Council: Choosing the right countertop when remodeling," 2 Nov. 2019 Instead, the crust is dense and focaccia-like, its insides veined with olive oil. — Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, "Greens is brighter than ever as it soars through its midlife crisis," 3 Oct. 2019 Against an uncharacteristically gray June Parisian sky, veined with fine clouds like marble, Pierpaolo Piccioli, the 52-year-old creative director of Valentino, crouches contemplatively, brow furrowed, chin resting on fist. — Mariano Vivanco; Fashion Editor: Miguel Enamorado, Harper's BAZAAR, "Valentino's Creative Director on Bringing His Poetic Vision to Fashion," 21 Aug. 2019 The border region of Lombardy adopted blue-veined cheese over mozzarella, and substituted rice for the ubiquitous Italian pasta. — Jim Kempton, Orange County Register, "Follow the French: A look at the French influence on cuisine around the world," 2 Aug. 2019 Kayak through the General Carrera Lake’s Marble Chapels, a network of glacial caves veined with blue striations carved from calcium carbonate by over 6,000 years of water pressure. — National Geographic, "Take the perfect road trip at the bottom of the world," 5 July 2019 Taking 579 years and at least 78 chief architects to complete, the cathedral is one of the jewels of Europe; a canal network was created just to transport slabs of its pink-veined marble from Lake Maggiore 50 miles away. — Michael J. Bailey, BostonGlobe.com, "In Milan, a low-tech saunter through a mecca of high fashion," 18 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vein.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Vein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vein. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for vein

vein

noun

English Language Learners Definition of vein

: any one of the tubes that carry blood from parts of the body back to the heart

: any one of the thin lines that can be seen on the surface of a leaf or on the wing of an insect

: a long, narrow opening in rock filled with gold, silver, etc.

See the full definition for vein in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vein

noun

\ ˈvān

Kids Definition of vein

1 : one of the blood vessels that carry the blood back to the heart

2 : a long narrow opening in rock filled with a specific mineral a vein of gold

3 : a streak of different color or texture (as in marble)

4 : a style of expression I continued in a more serious vein.— Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

5 : one of the bundles of fine tubes that make up the framework of a leaf and carry food, water, and nutrients in the plant

6 : one of the slender parts that stiffen and support the wing of an insect

vein

noun

\ ˈvān

Medical Definition of vein

: any of the tubular branching vessels that carry blood from the capillaries toward the heart and have thinner walls than the arteries and often valves at intervals to prevent reflux of the blood which flows in a steady stream and is in most cases dark-colored due to the presence of reduced hemoglobin

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