Meaning & use
vein
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablemedical
A tube in the body that carries blood back to the heart.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a vein' or 'veins'.
Patterns
- a vein in someone's arm
- varicose veins
- through a vein
The nurse found a vein in his arm and inserted the needle.
Blood returns to the heart through the veins.
She has varicose veins in her legs.
nouncountabletechnical
A narrow layer of mineral or ore inside rock.
Grammar: Often used in geology and mining.
Patterns
- a vein of gold
- a vein of ore
- a rich vein
The miners followed a rich vein of silver deep into the mountain.
Geologists discovered a new vein of copper in the area.
nouncountable
A particular style or mood in speaking or writing.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'in a ... vein'.
Patterns
- in a similar vein
- in a humorous vein
- in the same vein
The professor continued in a more serious vein.
Her speech was in a humorous vein, making everyone laugh.
He wrote several poems in the same vein.
nouncountable
A thin line or streak of a different color in wood, stone, or a leaf.
Grammar: Often used in the plural for patterns.
Patterns
- the veins of a leaf
- veins of color
- a vein in marble
The marble had delicate gray veins running through it.
You can see the veins on the underside of the leaf.
Word forms
| plural | veins |
|---|
Common combinations
- in a similar vein
- In a similar vein, the next chapter discusses modern art.
- varicose veins
- Pregnant women often get varicose veins.
- a vein of gold
- They hoped to find a vein of gold in the hills.
- in a humorous vein
- He told the story in a humorous vein.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blood vessel
- A general term for any tube carrying blood, including arteries; 'vein' is more specific.
- lode
- A technical term for a vein of metal ore; used in mining.
- streak
- A line of color; less technical than 'vein' for wood or stone.
Opposites
Word family
- venous adjective
- Relating to veins: venous blood.
Commonly confused: vein or vain? vein or vane?
vein vs vain
Means 'too proud' or 'without success'. 'Vein' is the body tube or a layer of mineral.
vein vs vane
A flat blade that turns in the wind, as on a weathercock. Not related to blood.
Practice
The doctor said the blood was flowing back to his heart through a ___.
Choose one answer.
A vein carries blood toward the heart. An artery carries blood away from the heart. 'Vane' and 'vain' are unrelated words that sound the same.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vein”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.