varicose vein
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3.8
- noun
- /ˈværɪkoʊs veɪn/
- Specialized
:
vena varicosa
- Many people develop varicose veins as they age, especially in their legs.
- history of varicose veins
We suffer from all kinds of problems with our necks, our backs, difficulty in childbirth, blown out knees, hernias, varicose veins, hemorrhoids.
- We suffer from all kinds of problems with our necks, our backs, difficulty in childbirth, blown out knees, hernias, varicose veins, hemorrhoids.
Examples
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People sprawled in a disorder of folding chairs; fatigued old women on the stone steps exposed layered undergarments and varicose veins.
Fiction book (1991) -
I've never seen varicose veins that big.
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"My wife has got varicose veins!"
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For stretch marks and varicose veins!
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Mary, how're them varicose veins?
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You know, I have varicose veins and I hate to shop at malls.
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The varicose vein on my mother's right thigh fit my picture perfectly.
Fiction book (2000) -
I had varicose veins.
Fiction book (1995) -
Freyda complained about her poor circulation; her legs had always been lumpy with purple varicose veins; now they were worse.
Fiction book (1998) -
Don't you wish somebody'd tell him that plaid shorts and varicose veins don't go together?
Synonyms
A swollen or twisted vein that can bleed
An abnormal swelling of a vein, sometimes of a nerve, often in the leg or esophagus
How Swollen
- Specialized
3
3.8
3
3.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'varicose' means swollen or twisted and 'vein' is a blood vessel, so 'varicose vein' transparently denotes a swollen/twisted vein; the MWE's meaning is directly compositional from its parts. This adjective+noun pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Varicose vein is a name that paints a picture: varicose suggests something swollen and twisted and vein is a blood vessel in the leg. So it means 'a swollen, twisted vein'.