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Glite Dictionary
metacarpal vein

metacarpal vein

8.4
A vein on the back or palm of the hand that carries blood away from the middle of the hand
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛtəˈkɑrpəl veɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vena metacarpiana
  • The metacarpal vein helps drain blood from the hand.

Examples

  • The surgeon carefully avoided the metacarpal vein during the procedure.

  • Swelling can sometimes occur along a metacarpal vein following injury to the hand.

  • Bruising appeared near her metacarpal vein after the intravenous injection.

  • Surgeons often examine the metacarpal veins during hand surgery.

  • The metacarpal vein carries blood from the fingers back to the heart.

  • After her injury, the doctor checked the condition of her metacarpal vein.

  • Poor circulation can affect the health of the metacarpal vein in the hand.

Synonyms

vena metacarpus
vsmetacarpal vein
  • Specialized
8.9

A vein on the back or palm of the hand that carries blood

is specific to veins that drain blood from the middle part of the hand

Surface Forms

metacarpal vein singular
metacarpal veins plural

Morphology

metacarpal + vein

The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'metacarpal' (pertaining to the metacarpus of the hand) combined with 'vein' (a blood vessel) yields a vein located in the metacarpal region. This is a literal anatomical compound with no idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Metacarpal vein comes from naming the vein that runs over the long bones in the middle of the hand. Metacarpal means the middle-hand bones and vein is a 'blood vessel', so the name points to the veins that drain blood from that part of the hand.