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vas deferens

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vas de⋅fe⋅rens

[vas def-uh-renz, -er-uhnz]
–noun, plural va⋅sa de⋅fe⋅ren⋅ti⋅a [vey-suh def-uh-ren-shee-uh, -shuh] . Anatomy, Zoology.
the duct that transports the sperm from the epididymis to the penis.

Origin:
1880–85; < NL vās dēferēns lit., vessel for carrying off. See vas, deferent 2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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vas def·er·ens   (děf'ər-ənz, -ə-rěnz')   
n.   pl. vasa def·er·en·ti·a (děf'ə-rěn'shē-ə)
The main duct through which semen is carried from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct.

[New Latin vās dēferēns : vās, duct + Latin dēferēns, present participle of dēferre, to carry away.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: vas def·er·ens
Pronunciation: -'def-&-r&nz, -"renz
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural vasadef·er·en·tia /-"def-&-'ren-ch(E-)&/
: a sperm-carrying duct especially of a higher vertebrate that in humans is a small but thick-walled tubeabout two feet (0.6 meter) long formed by the union of the vasa efferentia, is greatly convoluted in its proximal portion, begins at and is continuous with the tail of the epididymis, runs in thespermatic cord through the inguinal canal, and descends into the pelvis where it joins the duct of the seminal vesicle to form the ejaculatory duct called also ductus deferens, spermaticduct
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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vas deferens vas def·er·ens (vās' děf'ər-ənz, -ə-rěnz')
n. pl. vasa def·er·en·ti·a (děf'ə-rěn'shē-ə)
The main secretory duct of the testicle, through which semen is carried from the epididymis to the prostatic urethra, where it ends as the ejaculatory duct. Also called deferent duct, spermatic duct, spermiduct.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
vas deferens   (vās' děf'ə-rěnz')  Pronunciation Key 
Plural vasa deferentia (vā'zə děf'ə-rěn'shē-ə)
Either of two ducts through which sperm passes from a testis to the outside of the body. In mammals, the vas deferens connects the testis to the urethra.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

vas deferens

thick-walledthick-walled tube in the male reproductive system that transports sperm cells from the epididymis, where the sperm are stored prior to ejaculation. Each ductus deferens ends in an enlarged portion, an ampulla, which acts as a reservoir. There are two ductus deferentes, identical in structure and function, which emerge from the two epididymides.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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