# vein

/ˈveɪn/ (US) · /vˈeɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/vein
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. blood vessel

noun · CEFR B2

one of the tubes in your body that carries blood back to your heart.

For teachers: a blood vessel that transports blood from the capillaries toward the heart.

- The nurse looked for a vein in my arm to take a blood sample.
- The surgeon carefully avoided the major veins while performing the delicate procedure on the patient's leg.

### 2. pattern in rock or wood

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a thin line of a different colour or material found in things like marble, cheese, or wood.

For teachers: a stripe or streak of a distinct colour or composition within a mineral, rock, or organic material.

- The white marble had beautiful green veins running through it.
- Geologists discovered a rich vein of gold embedded deep within the quartz formation.

### 3. leaf or insect wing

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the thin lines that make up the framework of a leaf or an insect's wing.

For teachers: the vascular framework of a leaf or the structural nervure of an insect's wing.

- If you look closely at the leaf, you can see the tiny veins that carry water.
- The biologist examined the intricate network of veins in the dragonfly's wing under a microscope.

### 4. style or mood

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a particular way of expressing yourself or a specific mood.

For teachers: a distinctive style, quality, or thematic tendency in speech or writing.

- The comedian continued in a humorous vein, telling stories about his childhood.
- The author's later novels were written in a much more pessimistic vein than her early romantic works.

### 5. to mark with lines

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal

to mark something with a pattern of lines that look like veins.

For teachers: to decorate or mark a surface with a vein-like pattern.

- The artist used a fine brush to vein the painted pillars so they looked like real stone.
- The sunset was veined with streaks of deep purple and gold as the light faded over the horizon.

## Examples

- The nurse found a vein in my arm to take blood.
- The sculptor chose a piece of white marble with a deep purple vein running through the center.
- The author's latest novel continues in a satirical vein, mocking the very social structures that his previous, more earnest works had attempted to defend.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.