vena cava

noun

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ve·na ca·va | \ ˌvē-nə-ˈkā-və

plural venae cavae\ ˌvē-(ˌ)nē-ˈkā-(ˌ)vē

Definition of vena cava

: any of the large veins by which in air-breathing vertebrates the blood is returned to the right atrium of the heart

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Examples of vena cava in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At that stage, the uterus is large enough to put pressure on the inferior vena cava, which is one of the major blood vessels that return blood flow to the heart. — Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2021 These drain into the inferior vena cava, which is a direct line to the heart. — New York Times, 19 Aug. 2021 Four openings were designed to lead to the aorta, the vena cava, the pulmonary artery, and the pulmonary vein; a cable connected it to a black dictionary-size control box. — Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2021 The bullet struck Oswald’s aorta and a large torso vein known as the inferior vena cava, Dr. McClelland said, causing extensive blood loss. — Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2019 The inferior vena cava and superior vena cava carry blood to the heart. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati.com, 1 Nov. 2017 The medical mystery Layne Todd was born without an inferior vena cava. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati.com, 1 Nov. 2017 However the blood flow and diameter of the inferior vena cava were reduced when lying on their backs. — Amanda Ross-white, CNN, 16 Oct. 2017 This takes pressure off of your inferior vena cava, a large vein that carries deoxygenated blood from your lower and middle body into the right atrium of the heart, and may help reduce swelling. — Korin Miller, SELF, 21 Sep. 2017 See More

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