noun
vein
vayn
noun
1
A blood vessel that carries blood from the body back toward the heart.
"The nurse found a vein in his arm to draw blood."
"Veins look bluish through the skin because of how light reflects off them."
2
A thin streak of a different colour or texture running through a material, such as marble, wood, or cheese.
"The countertop had grey veins running through the white marble."
"You could see dark veins of ore running through the rock face."
3
A particular style, mood, or way of thinking that runs through something.
"The speech continued in a similar vein, praising teamwork throughout."
"His novels are all written in a darkly comic vein."
How to Use Vein
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe tube blood flows through on its way back to the heart, or a streak/theme that runs through something else, by resemblance to that pattern.
Common mistake
Easily confused with "vain" (conceited, or futile) and "vane" (a weather vane) — all three sound identical.
Common pairings
a vein of humour
in a similar vein
burst a vein
veins of marble
Word Forms
veined past tense, veins plural, veins singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “vein”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The nurse found a _____ in his arm to draw blood.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman veine, from Latin vēna ("blood vessel"). A doublet of vena, the anatomical term still used in Latin names for specific veins.