vein /veɪn/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: veine , from Latin vena ]
1 . [countable] one of the tubes which carries blood to your heart from other parts of your body ⇨ artery :
the pulmonary vein
She felt the blood racing through her veins as they kissed.
2 . [countable] one of the thin lines on a leaf or on an insect’s wing
3 . [countable] one of the thin lines on a piece of cheese or some types of stone
4 . [countable] a thin layer of a valuable metal or mineral which is contained in rock
vein of
veins of gold
5 . in a ... vein in a particular style of speaking or writing about something
in the same vein/in a similar vein
There was more humour, in much the same vein.
in a serious/light-hearted etc vein
poems in a lighter vein
6 . a vein of humour/malice etc a small amount of humour etc:
In voicing our fear of old age, Rivers has discovered a rich vein of comedy.
⇨ ↑ deep vein thrombosis , ↑ varicose veins