vena cava

UK/ˌviːnə ˈkeɪvə/

noun

Either of the two large veins that take oxygen depleted blood, from the upper body and from the lower body, and return it to the right atrium of the heart.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounvena cava (plural venae cavae or vena cavas)

plural venae cavae · plural vena cavas

  1. anatomyEither of the two large veins that take oxygen depleted blood, from the upper body and from the lower body, and return it to the right atrium of the heart.

Origin

Literally "hollow vein."

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch holle ader, vena cava
  • holle aderlarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
  • vena cavalarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
Finnish onttolaskimo
  • onttolaskimolarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
French veine cave
  • veine cavelarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
Hindi महाशिरा
  • महाशिरा (mahāśirā)large vein that returns blood into right atrium
Italian vena cava
  • vena cavalarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
Japanese 大静脈
  • 大静脈 (daijōmyaku)large vein that returns blood into right atrium
Māori ia auraki matua
  • ia auraki matualarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
Polish żyła główna
  • żyła głównalarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
Portuguese veia cava
  • veia cavalarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
Romanian venă cavă
  • venă cavălarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
Spanish vena cava
  • vena cavalarge vein that returns blood into right atrium
Swedish hålven
  • hålvenlarge vein that returns blood into right atrium

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with vena cava

evaavadevacavaLeyvaLeiva
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

vena cava. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vena%20cava

MLA

“vena cava.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vena%20cava. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vena cava,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vena%20cava.

Source: vena cava on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.