Definition

1. Noun:
   • A tiny blood vessel: A "capillary vessel" is any of the extremely small, thin-walled blood vessels that form a network throughout the body's tissues. They connect the smallest arteries (arterioles) to the smallest veins (venules), enabling the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste products between the blood and surrounding tissues.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Oxygen diffuses from the blood in the capillary vessel into the surrounding muscle cells.
  • The doctor explained that the bruise was caused by a ruptured capillary vessel under the skin.

Advanced Usage

• "Capillary vessel network": Refers to the extensive, web-like system of these vessels within an organ or tissue.
  • The efficiency of the lungs depends on a dense capillary vessel network surrounding the alveoli.

Variants and Related Words

• Capillary (n): The more common short form for "capillary vessel".
  • The capillaries in the fingertips are very close to the surface.
• Capillarity (n): The physical phenomenon of a liquid rising in a narrow tube or being drawn into small spaces, often used in scientific contexts related to the function of capillary vessels.

Synonyms

• Capillary: The direct and most frequent synonym.
• Microvessel: A broader term that can include the smallest lymphatic vessels as well as blood capillaries.

Related Phrases

• Capillary bed: A term describing the entire network of capillaries supplying a specific area of tissue.
  • The capillary bed in the kidneys is crucial for filtering blood.
• Capillary action: While primarily a physics/chemistry term for liquid movement in narrow spaces, it is conceptually related to the forces involved in fluid exchange in biological capillary vessels.

Noun

1. any of the minute blood vessels connecting arterioles with venules