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Glite Dictionary
occipital vein

occipital vein

6.6
A blood vessel at the back of the head that carries blood away from the scalp
  • noun
  • /ɑːkˈsɪpɪtəl veɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vena occipital
  • The occipital vein plays a crucial role in draining blood from the scalp and back of the head.

Examples

  • During surgery, the occipital vein must be handled carefully to prevent excessive bleeding.

  • An injury to the occipital vein can lead to swelling and bruising behind the skull.

  • The occipital vein plays a crucial role in draining blood.

  • Surgeons often check the occipital veins during procedures.

  • An injury to the occipital vein can lead to swelling and bruising behind the skull.

  • During surgery, the occipital vein must be handled carefully to prevent excessive bleeding.

  • The occipital vein plays a crucial role in draining blood from the scalp and back of the head.

Synonyms

vena occipitalis
vsoccipital vein
  • Specialized
9.9

A vein at the back of the head that carries blood away from the scalp

is the English common name for the same draining vein

Surface Forms

occipital vein singular
occipital veins plural

Morphology

occipital + vein

This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase: 'occipital' (the back part of the skull) + 'vein' (a vessel returning blood). A learner who knows both constituents can directly infer 'a vein that drains blood from the occipital region', and this construction follows common cross-linguistic medical naming patterns, so it is fully transparent.

Etymology

Occipital vein comes from Latin: occipital means 'back of the head' and vein means 'blood vessel'. So the name literally points to the vein at the back of the skull and explains why it means 'a vein that drains blood from that area'.