vein

noun

\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

Entrepreneurs spent years shunning the public markets in favor of a robust vein of cash available privately. — Maureen Farrell, WSJ, "Newly Public Tech Firms Race Back to Market as IPO Frenzy Continues," 4 Nov. 2018 Your brow furrows and that vein above your eyebrow comes to life. — Charlie Theel, Ars Technica, "The Mind: Most polarizing card game of the year?," 4 Aug. 2018 Claire says, pointing to a flat creek bed where tiny streams of water have cut veins into the sand. — Candice Rainey, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Colorado Ranch Retreat That Gives You a Real Taste of Cowboy Life," 20 July 2018 The facial involves drawing blood from a vein in your arm, which is then run through a centrifuge to extract the platelets, according to Allure. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "Tarek El Moussa Tries Out The Vampire Facial Trend, And You Can't Unsee The Results," 9 Oct. 2018 Before the procedure, your stomach will be cleaned, a catheter will be placed into your bladder to collect urine, and IV lines will be put in a vein in your hand or arm to give you fluid and medication. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Here’s What An Emergency C-Section Actually Is," 9 Aug. 2018 After hitting a vein while cutting her wrist, Camille checked herself into the hospital and was admitted to the psychiatric unit. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Camille Reckons with the Ghosts of Her Recent Past in Sharp Objects Episode 3," 23 July 2018 In a much different cultural vein, there will be a free public viewing of the World Cup semifinals on July 10 and 11 at Civic Center Plaza. — John King, SFChronicle.com, "Civic Center makeover: Here’s the plan to revamp the heart of SF," 29 June 2018 The snake sat coiled in a rock vein, waiting for the sun to warm its cold blood. — Jason Nark, Philly.com, "Venomous passion: Pennsylvania's snake hunters head to the hills," 20 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Computer models predict more than 3 feet of rain in the eastern part of the state, a fertile low-lying plain veined by brackish rivers with a propensity for escaping their banks. — Michael Biesecker, The Seattle Times, "Hurricane could flood many waste sites, creating toxic brew," 11 Sep. 2018 Its detailed rendering of small, usually unpaved farm roads that vein the landscape proved invaluable. — Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, "A Getaway to the ‘Tuscany of America’," 27 July 2018 Computer models predict more than 3 feet of rain in the eastern part of the state, a fertile low-lying plain veined by brackish rivers with a propensity for escaping their banks. — Michael Biesecker, The Seattle Times, "Hurricane could flood many waste sites, creating toxic brew," 11 Sep. 2018 Computer models predict more than 3 feet of rain in the eastern part of the state, a fertile low-lying plain veined by brackish rivers with a propensity for escaping their banks. — Michael Biesecker, Fox News, "Hurricane could flood many waste sites, creating toxic brew," 12 Sep. 2018 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

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.

History and Etymology for vein

Noun

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

Verb

verbal derivative of vein entry 1

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Dictionary Entries near vein

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Last Updated

10 Dec 2018

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Time Traveler for vein

The first known use of vein was in the 14th century

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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