vein

1. any of the tubular vessels that convey oxygen-depleted blood to the heart

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. a natural underground watercourse

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

vein

[vān]

(anatomy)

A relatively thin-walled blood vessel that carries blood from capillaries to the heart in vertebrates.

(botany)

One of the vascular bundles in a leaf.

(geology)

A mineral deposit in tabular or shell-like form filling a fracture in a host rock.

(invertebrate zoology)

One of the thick, stiff ribs providing support for the wing of an insect.

A venous sinus in invertebrates.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Vein

a mineral body filling a fissure in rock. Simple veins are single mineralized fissures; complex veins are clusters of interwoven fissures or of zones of fracturing or schist formation. According to their morphological details veins are called lenticular, chambered, saddle-reef, ladder, or feather. Veins that cut across the layers of enclosing rock are called intersecting veins; those that lie in conformity with the stratification and dip of the enclosing rock are called stratified. The length of veins of mineral products varies from 1 m or less to 200 km—for example, the veins of gold ore in California. In terms of dip some veins taper off close to the earth’s surface, and others, for example, the vein of the Kolar deposit in India, are worked at a depth of more than 3 km. A vein has a geological and a working thickness, the minimum thickness for exploiting the vein deposit. Depending on the value of the constituent minerals, the working thickness of a vein may vary from several centimeters to dozens of meters.

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

There were no signs of brachiocephalic vein thrombosis.

Pneumomediastinum and Mediastinal Hematoma Secondary to Right Brachiocephalic Vein Thrombectomy Mimicking STEMI

Resection of the Gastric Tube Reconstructed through the Retrosternal Route without Sternotomy

Although USG Doppler was helpful in diagnosis of our patient, it has limited capabilities in visualizing central subclavian and brachiocephalic veins. Contrast venography can confirm the diagnosis of SVC syndrome, but venous cannulation may be difficult in setting of obstruction apart from other contrast related complications.

Superior vena cava syndrome due to thrombosis: a rare paraneoplastic presentation of bronchogenic carcinoma

A left jugular vein catheter for hemodialysis malpositioned in right brachiocephalic vein. Iran J Kidney Dis.

Malposition of a hemodialysis catheter in the accessory hemiazygos vein

The computed tomography displayed that the veins were visible and ran in the anterior mediastinum as a venous tuft from brachiocephalic veins (Fig.

Unusual case with venous channels connecting the left and the right brachiocephalic veins/Sol ve sag brakiyosefalik venleri baglayan venoz kanallari olan olagandisi vaka

This deposit seemed to be a major thrombus in the right brachiocephalic vein, although the patient had no symptoms of thrombosis and had never experienced thrombotic events (Fig.

Disappearance of a major thrombus in the brachiocephalic vein without anticoagulant therapy in a patient with seminoma: A case report

However, we were unable to advance the lead through the junction of the left brachiocephalic vein and superior vena cava (SVC) due to an acute angle.

Benefits of lead delivery using a guidewire in pacemaker lead insertion

After a discussion with the surgeon, it was decided that we should explore the left brachiocephalic vein. The PAC tip could be seen upon incision of the left brachiocephalic vein.

Entrapment of a pulmonary artery catheter by invagination of a percutaneous introducer sheath

It then continues up under the left brachiocephalic vein, feeding into the venous circulation at or near the junction of the internal jugular and left subclavian veins at the base of the neck (4).

Anatomy of the deep lymphatic system--key to lymphatic drainage

Transverse sinus, sigmoid sinus and jugular bulb can normally show asymmetric signal intensity and enhancement and is more frequent on left due to compressive effect of left brachiocephalic vein during respiratory cycle.21 Arachnoid granulations are normal structures that protrude into the dural sinus lumen or lateral lacunae.

Normal variations in cerebral venous anatomy and their potential pitfalls on 2D TOF MRV examination: Results from a private tertiary care hospital in Karachi

It is located within the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery and the vagus nerve and unites with the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein (Standring et al.; Sinnatamby).

Variations of the External and Internal Jugular Veins: A Fetal Study/Variaciones de las Venas Yugulares Externas e Internas: Estudio Fetal