varicose

/'værikous/

Thân thiện

A nurse examines a patient's varicose veins during a checkup.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Abnormally swollen, enlarged, or knotted: Used primarily to describe veins that have become dilated, twisted, and often painful due to faulty valves or increased pressure.

Usage

• The adjective varicose is almost exclusively used in medical contexts to describe a specific condition of veins, particularly in the legs.
• It is most commonly found in the fixed phrase "varicose veins".

Examples

• Adjective:
  • She underwent surgery to treat her varicose veins.
  • Prolonged standing can be a risk factor for developing varicose veins.
  • The doctor noted the varicose appearance of the superficial vessels.

Advanced Usage

• While "varicose veins" is the standard term, the adjective can technically describe similar abnormal swelling in other tubular structures, though this is rare in non-specialist language.
  • In severe cases, varicose changes can also affect the esophageal veins.

Variants and Related Words

• Varix (noun): The singular form for an abnormally dilated or tortuous vein, artery, or lymphatic vessel.
  • A varix in the esophagus is a serious medical condition.
• Varices (noun): The plural form of .
  • The endoscopy revealed gastric varices.

Synonyms

• Dilated: Enlarged or widened.
• Distended: Swollen due to internal pressure.
• Tortuous: Twisted or with many turns.

Antonyms

• Normal
• Healthy
• Unobstructed

Học thuật

Adjective

1. abnormally swollen or knotty
   • varicose veins