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Glite Dictionary
superior pulmonary vein

superior pulmonary vein

6.2
A vein in the top of a lung that carries oxygen-rich blood to the left upper part of the heart
  • noun
  • /suːˈpɪəriər ˈpʌlməˌnɛri veɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vena pulmonar superior
  • Each lung has its own superior pulmonary vein that carries oxygenated blood to the left atrium of the heart.

Examples

  • The surgeon carefully avoided damaging the superior pulmonary vein during the procedure.

  • Each superior pulmonary vein connects to the left atrium.

  • A blockage in the superior pulmonary vein can lead to serious complications.

  • Each lung has its own superior pulmonary vein that carries oxygenated blood to the heart.

  • The superior pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs.

  • A blockage in the superior pulmonary vein can lead to serious complications in blood circulation.

  • The surgeon carefully avoided damaging the superior pulmonary vein during the heart surgery.

Synonyms

pulmonary vein
vssuperior pulmonary vein
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A vein that carries oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart

is narrower, meaning only those veins from the upper lung lobes
vena pulmonalis superior
vssuperior pulmonary vein
  • Specialized
9.6

A vein that carries blood from the upper part of each lung to the left upper chamber of the heart

is the common English term for the same veins rather than the Latin form
vena pulmonalis
vssuperior pulmonary vein
  • Specialized
9.7

A vein that carries oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left side of the heart

is limited to veins from the upper lung lobes not to all four

Surface Forms

superior pulmonary vein singular
superior pulmonary veins plural

Morphology

superior + pulmonary + vein

The meaning is directly compositional: 'superior' (higher/upper) + 'pulmonary' (related to the lungs) + 'vein' (blood vessel returning blood to the heart) yields a clear sense of a vein from the upper part of the lung returning blood. This adjective–noun anatomical naming pattern is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to derive the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Superior pulmonary vein is a compound medical name made from three parts: superior meaning 'upper', pulmonary meaning 'lung', and vein meaning 'blood vessel to the heart'. So the name points to the vein that returns blood with oxygen from the upper part of a lung back to the heart.