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Glite Dictionary
phrenic vein

phrenic vein

8.0
A small blood vessel that carries blood from the muscle under the lungs to larger veins
  • noun
  • /ˈfrɛnɪk veɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vena frénica
  • The phrenic vein carries blood from the diaphragm.

Examples

  • During surgery, care must be taken not to damage the phrenic vein.

  • Any injury to the phrenic vein could affect blood drainage from the diaphragm.

  • The phrenic vein carries blood away from the diaphragm after it has supplied oxygen.

  • Two phrenic veins are present on each side.

  • Any injury to the phrenic vein could affect blood drainage from the diaphragm.

  • During surgery, care must be taken not to damage the phrenic vein.

  • The phrenic vein carries blood away from the diaphragm after it has supplied oxygen.

Synonyms

vena phrenica
vsphrenic vein
  • Specialized
9.6

One of two veins that carry blood away from the diaphragm, the muscle under the lungs

specify drainage continues into larger veins elsewhere in the body

Surface Forms

phrenic vein singular
phrenic veins plural

Morphology

phrenic + vein

The meaning is directly compositional: 'phrenic' (= related to the diaphragm) combined with 'vein' (= a blood vessel) yields a vein associated with/draining the diaphragm. This adjective+noun anatomical naming pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would grasp the MWE.

Etymology

Phrenic vein is a name that tells you its job: phrenic comes from an old word for the 'diaphragm', the breathing muscle, and vein is a blood vessel that 'drains' blood. So the name literally means the vein that carries blood away from the diaphragm.