vein

[veyn]
noun
1.
one of the system of branching vessels or tubes conveying blood from various parts of the body to the heart.
2.
(loosely) any blood vessel.
3.
one of the riblike thickenings that form the framework of the wing of an insect.
4.
one of the strands or bundles of vascular tissue forming the principal framework of a leaf.
5.
any body or stratum of ore, coal, etc., clearly separated or defined: a rich vein of coal.
6.
a body or mass of igneous rock, deposited mineral, or the like occupying a crevice or fissure in rock; lode.
7.
a natural channel or watercourse beneath the surface of the earth.
8.
the water running through such a channel.
9.
a streak or marking, as of a different shade or color, running through marble, wood, etc.
10.
a condition, mood, or temper: a vein of pessimism.
11.
a tendency, quality, or strain traceable in character, conduct, writing, etc.; manner or style: to write in a poetic vein.
verb (used with object)
12.
to furnish with veins.
13.
to mark with lines or streaks suggesting veins.
14.
to extend over or through in the manner of veins: Broad new highways vein the countryside.
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to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
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Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English veine < Old French < Latin vēna vein of the body, channel, ore deposit

Related forms
vein·al, adjective
vein·less, adjective
vein·like, adjective
in·ter·vein, verb (used with object)
in·ter·vein·al, adjective
sub·vein, noun
un·veined, adjective

Can be confused: vain, vane, vein.

Synonyms
11. tone, streak, touch, hint, thread.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
vein (veɪn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  pulmonary vein Compare artery any of the tubular vessels that convey oxygen-depleted blood to the heartRelated: venous
2.  any of the hollow branching tubes that form the supporting framework of an insect's wing
3.  any of the vascular strands of a leaf
4.  a clearly defined mass of ore, mineral, etc, filling a fault or fracture, often with a tabular or sheetlike shape
5.  an irregular streak of colour or alien substance in marble, wood, or other material
6.  a natural underground watercourse
7.  a crack or fissure
8.  a distinctive trait or quality in speech, writing, character, etc; strain: a vein of humour
9.  a temporary disposition, attitude, or temper; mood: the debate entered a frivolous vein
10.  (Irish) a parting in hair
 
—vb
11.  to diffuse over or cause to diffuse over in streaked patterns
12.  to fill, furnish, or mark with or as if with veins
 
Related: venous
 
[C13: from Old French veine, from Latin vēna]
 
'veinal
 
—adj
 
'veinless
 
—adj
 
'veinlike
 
—adj
 
'veiny
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

vein
c.1300, from O.Fr. veine, from L. vena "a blood vessel," also "a water course, a vein of metal, a person's natural ability or interest," of unknown origin. The mining sense is attested in English from late 14c. Figurative sense of "strain or intermixture" (of some quality) is recorded from 1560s; that
of "a humor or mood, natural tendency" is first recorded 1570s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

vein (vān)
n.

  1. Any of the branching blood vessels carrying blood toward the heart. All veins except the pulmonary vein carry dark unaerated blood.

  2. A blood vessel.

v. veined, vein·ing, veins
To supply or fill with veins.
vein'al adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
vein   (vān)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Any of the blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart from the body's cells, tissues, and organs. Veins are thin-walled and contain valves that prevent the backflow of blood. All veins except the pulmonary vein carry blood with low levels of oxygen.

  2. One of the narrow, usually branching tubes or supporting parts forming the framework of an insect's wing or a leaf. Veins in insect wings carry hemolymph and contain a nerve. Veins in leaves contain vascular tissue, with the xylem usually occurring on the upper side of the vein (bringing in water and nutrients) and the phloem on the lower side (carrying away food). See more at leaf, venation.

  3. A long, narrow deposit of mineral or rock that fills the void formed by a fracture or fault in another rock. The mineralogy of the host rock surrounding the vein is often altered where it is in contact with the vein because of chemical reactions between the two rock types.


venous adjective (vē'nəs)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences from the web
Vein the externally visible vascular bundles, found on leafs, petals and other
  parts.
Typically the form is vein or fracture filling, nodular, or botryoidal in habit.
In the same vein, the weather experienced in the south and the north varies
  considerably.
The veins end in the left innominate vein, and in the thyroid veins.
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