common iliac vein

5.8

A large vein on each side of the lower body that joins to form the vein to the heart

noun
/ˈkɒmən ˈɪliæk veɪn/

Specialized

: vena ilíaca común

Both left and right common iliac veins join to form the inferior vena cava.

Examples

A blood clot in the common iliac vein can cause serious complications if not treated promptly.
The common iliac vein carries blood from the legs.
The surgeon located the common iliac vein before proceeding with the operation.
Surgeons often examine the common iliac veins during procedures.
A blood clot in the common iliac vein can cause serious complications if not treated promptly.
The surgeon located the common iliac vein before proceeding with the operation.
Both left and right common iliac veins join to form the inferior vena cava.

Synonyms

iliac vein

vscommon iliac vein

Specialized

1 5.1

A large vein in the hip area that carries blood from the legs to the main vein in the belly

is one of two veins formed by joining two pelvic veins

vena iliaca

vscommon iliac vein

Specialized

8.5

A pelvic vein that carries blood from the leg toward the heart

is one specific pelvic vein formed where two other pelvic veins join

Surface Forms

common iliac vein singular

common iliac veins plural

Morphology

common + iliac + vein

The phrase is fully compositional: 'vein' (blood vessel) modified by 'iliac' (of the pelvic/iliac region) and 'common' (shared/main), so a learner who knows those words can infer it refers to the main/shared vein in the iliac area. Anatomical naming conventions are regular and cross-linguistically similar, making the meaning predictable from the constituents.

Etymology

The name common iliac vein comes from its parts: iliac means the 'hip area', vein is a blood vessel, and common shows two veins have 'joined' into one. So common iliac vein is the large vein near the hip where two veins meet to carry blood back to the heart.