Meaning & use
capillary
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Meanings
nouncountablebiologymedical
a very thin blood vessel that connects small arteries to small veins and supplies body tissues
Grammar: Countable: 'a capillary', 'the capillaries'; usually plural when talking about the body's network.
Patterns
- blood capillaries
- capillaries in the skin
Capillaries are so narrow that red blood cells pass through in single file.
The doctor explained that broken capillaries can cause red spots on the skin.
Oxygen moves from the lungs into the blood and then through the capillaries to the cells.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
relating to very narrow tubes, especially the way liquid moves through them
Grammar: Used before a noun, as in 'capillary action' or 'capillary tube'.
Patterns
- capillary action
- capillary tube
Capillary action helps water climb up the stem of a plant.
The lab used a capillary tube to collect a tiny blood sample.
Capillary movement of water in soil can affect how plants get moisture.
Word forms
| plural | capillaries |
|---|
Common combinations
- capillary action
- Capillary action draws water up through a paper towel.
- capillary tube
- The scientist placed the liquid in a capillary tube.
- broken capillaries
- She has broken capillaries around her nose.
- capillary walls
- Nutrients pass through the capillary walls into the tissue.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blood vessel
- A general term for any tube that carries blood, including arteries and veins; 'capillary' is the smallest type.
Word family
- capillarity noun
- the technical term for the rise of liquid in narrow spaces, like capillary action.
Commonly confused: capillary or capillary?
capillary vs capillary
Don't confuse the noun (a blood vessel) with the adjective (describing narrow tubes); the context tells you which is meant.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'capillary' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Capillary action' is the correct technical phrase for liquid moving through narrow spaces. The first option is wrong because arteries, not capillaries, carry blood away from the heart; the third confuses it with a tool; and the fourth confuses it with a muscle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “capillary”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.