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Glite Dictionary
intercostal vein

intercostal vein

8.2
A small blood vessel between the ribs that carries blood to the heart
  • noun
  • /ˌɪntərˈkoʊstəl veɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vena intercostal
  • The surgeon carefully identified the intercostal vein before proceeding with the thoracic procedure.

Examples

  • Bleeding from an injured intercostal vein can be serious and may require immediate attention.

  • The anatomy class included a detailed study of each intercostal vein and its connections.

  • The intercostal vein plays a crucial role in respiratory physiology.

  • Surgeons need to be careful when operating near the intercostal veins.

  • The anatomy class included a detailed study of each intercostal vein and its connections.

  • The surgeon carefully identified the intercostal vein before proceeding with the thoracic procedure.

  • Bleeding from an injured intercostal vein can be serious and may require immediate attention.

Synonyms

vena intercostalis
vsintercostal vein
  • Specialized
9.9

A vein between the ribs that carries blood from the chest wall

is the English name rather than the Latin form

Surface Forms

intercostal vein singular
intercostal veins plural

Morphology

intercostal + vein

The meaning is directly compositional: 'intercostal' means 'between the ribs' and 'vein' means 'a blood vessel', so the phrase denotes a vein in the space between the ribs that drains blood. Although medical, the morphological structure is regular and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Intercostal vein is a name that gives a simple image: intercostal means 'between the ribs' and vein is a blood vessel, so it names the veins that run in the spaces between the ribs and 'drain' blood back to the heart.