vein

noun \ ˈvān \

|Updated on: 23 Jul 2018

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

2 a : 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

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

b (1) : lode 2

(2) : a bed of useful mineral matter

c : lode 3

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

5 a : 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

6 a : 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

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veinal

play \ˈvā-nᵊl\ adjective

See vein defined for English-language learners

See vein defined for kids

Examples of vein in a Sentence

the author goes on in that sarcastic vein for pages

Recent Examples of vein from the Web

Her throbbing angry forehead vein alone deserves an Emmy nomination.

— refinery29.com, "This Is Keri Russell's Time To Shine — Welcome To The Russell-ution, Comrades," 13 July 2018
In a Thoreauvian vein, Mr. Dann’s first chapter laments the tawdry excesses of American prosperity.

— kelly scott franklin, WSJ, "‘The Road to Walden’ Review: Peripatetic Ponderings," 12 July 2018
To Ethan the amazing lab tech who has a gift of getting blood painlessly out of cold dehydrated veins.

— Washington Post, "Alaska plane survivor: ‘For those wondering I’m alive’," 12 July 2018
Medical causes could include swelling of the veins that drain the testicle, infections, tumors, Celiac disease or ejaculation problems.

— mari a. schaefer, Philly.com, "Study: Nutrition in nuts may help boost sperm count," 10 July 2018
That is apparent in scenes of heroin being scooped into bags by masked men and driven toward the U.S. border, and when an addict in Atlanta, who lives in a trailer and roams like a bent silhouette on the outskirts, can’t find a vein.

— jeffrey fleishman, latimes.com, "Documentary films explore the despair of America's heroin and opioid epidemic," 6 July 2018
Reports revealed that the company often relied on more traditional vein blood draws and lab equipment made by other companies rather than its unproven medical technology.

— ken alltucker, USA TODAY, "As Theranos drama unwinds, former patients claim inaccurate tests changed their lives," 5 July 2018
Despite fears from his attorneys that a vein would not be found for the IVs, prison technicians had one needle inserted in his left hand three minutes after he was strapped to the death chamber gurney.

— Time, "Houston's 'Ice Pick Killer' Executed in Texas for 1979 Rape and Murder," 29 June 2018
Despite fears from his attorneys that a vein would not be found for the IVs, prison technicians had one needle inserted in his left hand three minutes after he was strapped to the death chamber gurney.

— NBC News, "Texas executes convicted killer whose attorneys proposed firing squad," 28 June 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of vein

Middle English veyne, borrowed from Anglo-French veine, going back to Latin vēna "blood vessel, channel," of obscure origin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 3a

See Words from the same year

vein Synonyms

Synonyms

fashion, locution, manner, mode, phraseology, style, tone;

Related Words

address, delivery, elocution;

archaism, colloquialism, regionalism;

acceptation, connotation, denotation, expression, idiom;

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

vein

verb

veined; veining; veins

transitive verb

: to pattern with or as if with veins

Recent Examples of vein from the Web

Maddox said the plaster will once again be painted with veining that mimics stone, but in a lighter shade than the dark brown favored in the Victorian era.

— Washington Post, "NYC’s historic Trinity Church to partially close for 2 years," 6 May 2018
On a spring morning last year, in the Keith Creek neighborhood of Rockford, Illinois, Eric Thurmond stopped his patrol car on a street shrouded by trees and veined with cracks.

— ben austen, The New Republic, "How one American city chose to tackle crime, combat racism, and reckon with the legacy of police brutality," 21 June 2018
The store's fishmongers can assist with anything from recipe suggestions to shrimp de-veining.

— katherine peralta, charlotteobserver, "Here's a sneak peek inside Whole Foods, uptown Charlotte's new grocery store," 11 June 2018
Like the canyons that vein so much of San Diego County, coyotes are a reminder of this land’s natural state.

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Back story: Living with your not-so-friendly neighborhood coyotes," 29 Apr. 2018
The crop of acorns from the live oaks that grew on the narrow cheniers veining the coastal marsh and the water oaks and southern red oaks upland farther inland were gone.

— shannon tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Late winter gives Texas hunters best shot at feral hogs," 24 Jan. 2018
The Driftless region includes southwestern Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois, veined by the Mississippi, Wisconsin, Kickapoo and other rivers.

— jim higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'The Driftless Reader' portrays beauty and challenges of a remarkable region," 5 Oct. 2017
K Street is majestic and immovable, veined through Washington like fat through a prime steak.

— nicholas confessore, New York Times, "How to Get Rich in Trump’s Washington," 30 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, more expensive cars — like the Camaro’s sibling, the Corvette — are veined with carbon fiber.

— david ingold, The Seattle Times, "Innovations make America’s cars faster yet more efficient," 21 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of vein

verbal derivative of ¹vein

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1502

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

VEIN Defined for English Language Learners

vein

noun

: 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.

VEIN Defined for Kids

vein

noun \ ˈvān \

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

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veined

\ˈvānd\ adjective

Medical Dictionary

vein

noun \ ˈvān \

: 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