azygous vein

7.9

A vein on the right chest near the spine that carries blood to the large vein above the heart

noun
/ˈeɪzɪɡəs veɪn/

Specialized

: vena ázygos

The azygous vein arches over the right lung before entering the superior vena cava.

Examples

Surgeons must be cautious not to damage the azygous vein during procedures on the posterior thoracic wall.
On the CT scan, an enlarged azygous vein was observed in the mediastinum.
The azygous vein plays a crucial role in venous drainage.
An azygous vein can be found on the right side of the thoracic cavity.
Surgeons must be cautious not to damage the azygous vein during procedures on the posterior thoracic wall.
On the CT scan, an enlarged azygous vein was observed in the mediastinum.
The azygous vein arches over the right lung before entering the superior vena cava.

Synonyms

azygos vein

vsazygous vein

Specialized

9.0

A vein on the right chest that carries blood from the chest and belly to the vein above the heart

is the preferred or standard form without spelling variation

vena azygos

vsazygous vein

Specialized

9.5

A vein that carries blood from the chest and upper belly to the heart

describes the same drainage route without naming its origin

Antonyms

paired

2.5

Two things that match and go together

Surface Forms

azygous vein singular

azygous veins plural

Morphology

azygous + vein

The adjective 'azygous' means 'existing singly' and 'vein' is a blood vessel, so the noun phrase straightforwardly denotes a vein that is unpaired or single. Although the precise anatomical location and drainage details in the full definition require specialist knowledge, the core meaning is compositionally derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Azygous vein comes from Greek words that mean 'not paired', with a- meaning 'not' and zygos meaning 'pair'. It is the single vein that runs up the right side of the chest and joins the large central vein, so the name helps us remember it is the one 'unpaired' vein.