Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
long saphenous vein

long saphenous vein

6.9
A long vein that runs from the foot to the groin
  • noun
  • /lɔŋ ˈsæfɪnəs veɪn/
  • UK
translation icon : vena safena larga
  • Varicose veins often develop in the long saphenous vein due to increased pressure.

Examples

  • Ultrasound examination revealed a clot in her long saphenous vein.

  • Did you know the long saphenous vein runs along the leg?

  • The surgeon traced the long saphenous vein during the bypass procedure.

  • The long saphenous vein is crucial for blood circulation.

  • The surgeon traced the long saphenous vein during the bypass procedure.

  • Ultrasound examination revealed a clot in her long saphenous vein.

  • Varicose veins often develop in the long saphenous vein due to increased pressure.

Synonyms

great saphenous vein
vslong saphenous vein
  • Specialized
4.9

A long vein that runs from the foot up the leg to the groin

is the same vein but uses the alternative anatomical name

Surface Forms

long saphenous vein singular
long saphenous veins plural

Morphology

long + saphenous + vein

The phrase is compositionally built from 'long' + 'saphenous' + 'vein', so the basic idea of a 'long vein' is transparent; however 'saphenous' is a specialized anatomical term not predictable from general vocabulary and carries specific biomedical reference. Because the core lexical head is technical and requires domain knowledge to identify the exact vessel and extent, the expression is only partly transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Long saphenous vein simply describes the body part: long because it runs from the foot to the groin, saphenous from an old word meaning 'visible' because it lies near the skin, and vein is a blood vessel. So, the name helps you remember that this is the long surface vein often seen in varicose veins and used in surgery.