1
: blood vessel
especially
: any of the tubular branching vessels that carry blood from the capillaries toward the heart
2
a
: any of the vascular bundles forming the framework of a leaf
b
: any of the thickened cuticular ribs that serve to stiffen the wings of an insect
3
a
: a narrow water channel in rock or earth or in ice
b(1)
(2)
: a bed of useful mineral matter
c
4
: something suggesting veins (as in reticulation)
specifically
: a wavy variegation (as in marble)
5
6
a
: a special aptitude
inherited an artistic vein
b
: a usually transitory and casually attained mood
c
: top form
thou troublest me; I am not in the vein—
William Shakespeare
William ShakespeareSynonyms
Examples of vein in a Sentence
Noun
the author goes on in that sarcastic vein for pages
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
Afterward, the manicurist used acetone to disperse the ink with a thick nail brush (or 3D brush), creating gemstone veins.
—Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 5 Jan. 2025
Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 30 Dec. 2024
The area of the discovery of 40 gold ore veins with a total of 300.2 tons of gold resources is known as the Wangu goldfield.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vein 
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Noun
They are tightly bound to their neighbors and the waterways that form the veins of this community.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
Afterward, the manicurist used acetone to disperse the ink with a thick nail brush (or 3D brush), creating gemstone veins.
—Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
Behind the range, the white zigzagging veining on the black granite playfully evokes a shark fin or the tail fin of a Jet Age land cruiser like a 1959 Cadillac.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 30 Dec. 2024
The area of the discovery of 40 gold ore veins with a total of 300.2 tons of gold resources is known as the Wangu goldfield.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vein
Dictionary Entries Near vein
Cite this Entry
“Vein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vein. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
vein
noun
: any of the tubular branching vessels that carry blood from the capillaries toward the heart and have thinner walls than the arteries and often valves at intervals to prevent reflux of the blood which flows in a steady stream and is in most cases dark-colored due to the presence of reduced hemoglobin
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