vein

noun \ ˈvān \

Updated on: 15 May 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

—

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

Problems With Procedures One pitfall is that execution teams must find a vein to infuse, a process that can be excruciating.

— author: denise grady, jan hoffman, Anchorage Daily News, "States turn to an unproven method of execution: nitrogen gas," 8 May 2018
Most in that vein of clothing stores or food stores.

— lolade fadulu, The Atlantic, "The Experiment in Irresponsibility," 3 May 2018
But one more serious potential reason for shortness of breath is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), G. Thomas Ruiz, M.D., an ob/gyn at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif., tells SELF.

— korin miller, SELF, "Cardi B Explains Why She Is Taking a Break From Performing Due to Her Pregnancy," 26 Apr. 2018
His attorneys argued in court filings and a clemency petition to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey that his age and vein condition would make lethal injection more difficult.

— CBS News, "Alabama executes oldest inmate in modern history," 19 Apr. 2018
According to a post-mortem report posted in the Coroner's website, Feldstein, 40, suffered from a condition detailed as pulmonary thromboembolism and deep leg vein thrombosis, another type of blood clot.

— gil kaufman, Billboard, "Maroon 5 Manager Jordan Feldstein's Cause of Death Revealed," 19 Mar. 2018
But NRKbeta, the tech-testing group at Norway's largest national media organization, tapped into a meaty vein with the unveiling of last February's Know2Comment, an open source plugin that can attach to any WordPress site's comment section.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "How a Norwegian comment section turned chaos into order—with a simple quiz," 16 Mar. 2018
The data-collection modules are used on patients with a variety of diseases, from cancer and multiple sclerosis to Parkinson's disease and deep-vein thrombosis.

— peter krouse, cleveland.com, "First 10 startups make pitch for time at Plug and Play in Cleveland," 1 Mar. 2018
Lawyers for death row inmate Alva Campbell say a firing squad must be an option because the state couldn’t find a usable vein on Campbell during November’s unsuccessful procedure.

— andrew welsh-huggins, The Seattle Times, "Lawyers: Firing squad must be option for condemned killer," 21 Jan. 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

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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

transitive verb

: to pattern with or as if with veins

Recent Examples of vein from the Web

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
The tulip's satin petals, veined deep red on red, respond to the light.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Poems 'Forged By Joy' From Laura Mazza-Dixon," 10 May 2017
His hair is a shiny silver white, his hands veined and weathered.

— michael callahan, Vanities, "The Man Behind History’s Most Iconic Movie Posters, From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to James Bond," 19 Apr. 2017
His hair is a shiny silver white, his hands veined and weathered.

— michael callahan, vanityfair.com, "The Man Behind History’s Most Iconic Movie Posters, From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to James Bond," 3 Apr. 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