vena cava

[ vee-nuh-key-vuh ]

noun,plural ve·nae ca·vae [vee-nee key-vee]. /ˈvi ni ˈkeɪ vi/. Anatomy.
  1. either of two large veins discharging blood into the right atrium of the heart, one (superior vena cava, or precava ) conveying blood from the head, chest, and upper extremities and the other (inferior vena cava or postcava ) conveying blood from all parts below the diaphragm.

Origin of vena cava

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin vēna cava, literally “hollow vein”

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How to use vena cava in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vena cava

vena cava

/ (ˈkeɪvə) /


nounplural venae cavae (ˈkeɪviː)
  1. either one of the two large veins that convey oxygen-depleted blood to the heart

Origin of vena cava

1
Latin: hollow vein

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for vena cava

vena cava

[ nə kā ]


Plural venae cavae (nē kā)
  1. Either of two large veins that carry blood with low levels of oxygen to the right atrium of the heart.♦ The superior vena cava receives blood from the brain and upper limbs or forelimbs.♦ The inferior vena cava drains blood from the trunk and lower limbs or hindlimbs and is the largest vein in the body.

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