Definition

1. Verb (intransitive):

   • To connect or join together, especially of tubular structures like blood vessels or nerves, to form a network or intercommunication. This is the primary biological and medical meaning, describing the natural or surgical connection between two structures that are normally separate.
   • To come together or open into each other. This describes the process or state of being interconnected.

2. Verb (transitive):

   • To cause to join or open into each other by anastomosis. This refers to the surgical or intentional act of connecting tubular structures.

Examples of Usage

• Intransitive Verb:

  • The surgeon observed how the tiny blood vessels began to anastomose, restoring circulation to the tissue.
  • In a healthy circulatory system, arteries and veins anastomose to create alternative pathways for blood flow.

• Transitive Verb:

  • The surgical procedure aimed to anastomose the two severed ends of the intestine.
  • A skilled microsurgeon can anastomose nerves with incredible precision.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Medical Context: The word is almost exclusively used in medical, biological, and botanical contexts. It is a precise term for professionals.
  • The graft was successful because the host vessels managed to anastomose with the transplanted ones.
• Figurative Use (Rare): Occasionally used metaphorically to describe ideas or systems merging.
  • The two philosophical traditions began to anastomose, creating a new school of thought.

Variants and Related Words

• Anastomosis (n): The actual connection or intercommunication between two structures. This is the noun form.
  • The anastomosis between the arteries was clearly visible on the scan.
• Anastomotic (adj): Relating to or characterized by anastomosis.
  • The anastomotic site healed without complications.

Synonyms

• Connect: To join or link together. (More general)
• Join: To bring or come together. (More general)
• Interconnect: To connect with each other. (Closer in meaning)
• Inosculate: A technical synonym meaning to unite by openings, often used in biology.

Related Phrases

• To form an anastomosis: This is a common paraphrasing of the intransitive verb meaning.
  • The vessels proceeded to form an anastomosis.
• To perform an anastomosis: This is a common paraphrasing of the transitive/surgical action.
  • The surgeon will perform an anastomosis between the bile duct and the intestine.

Notes on Usage

• Register: This is a highly specialized, formal term. It is not used in everyday conversation.
• Grammar: As a verb, it can be used both transitively ("anastomose something") and intransitively ("something anastomoses").
• Field Specificity: Its core meaning is inseparable from anatomy, surgery, and biology, referring to the linking of vessels, nerves, or streams.

Verb

1. cause to join or open into each other by anastomosis
   • anastomose blood vessels
2. come together or open into each other
   • the blood vessels anastomose