What does vein mean?
A vein is primarily one of the blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart, distinguished from an artery, which usually carries blood away from it. The word also refers to a narrow channel or seam in rock or soil, often one containing valuable ore, and to a natural course of water. In literature and everyday discussion, a “vein of” something is a characteristic streak or continuing source: a vein of irony, ambition, music, or dark humor. “In the vein of” means resembling the style or character of someone else. These meanings share an image of something running through a body, landscape, or piece of writing. The word is useful because it links the physical and figurative senses of a narrow passage, a source, and a recognizable style. Its rare literary verb form, “to vein,” refers to imitating another writer's manner.
A blood vessel carrying blood toward the heart; also, by extension, a channel or seam in rock, a watercourse, or a characteristic style or streak.
"The map marks the path of the vein through the mountain."
To copy or imitate the style of another writer.
"The young poet veined his diction after the older master."
Rare and chiefly literary; more often encountered in the expression “in the vein of.”
The regular plural is “veins.”
"The veins in his hands became more visible as he grew older."
The word that carries blood through your body also names the narrow channel that carries water or ore through rock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does vein come from?
The English word descends through Old French veine from Latin vena, which referred both to blood vessels and to channels, seams, or passages in the earth. The mining and figurative senses developed from the same image of a channel or course running through a larger substance. Related forms including vena, venous, and venose preserve the Latin root in anatomical and descriptive vocabulary.
Related word forms
How vein is actually used
In anatomy, a vein carries blood toward the heart, while an artery generally carries it away. In figurative use, “a vein of” can suggest a continuing supply or characteristic quality. The rare verb “to vein,” meaning to imitate another writer's style, is chiefly literary.
Easily confused with vein
A vein is a blood vessel, channel, or stylistic tendency, whereas vain usually means excessively proud or futile.