capillary
1 synonym for capillary, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — One of the tiny blood vessels that connect the arteries to the veins.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
hairlike
How to use capillary
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
capillary action
capillary blood
capillary wall
capillary tube
It is mostly a scientific and medical word.
Etymology
Capillary comes from Latin capillāris, meaning 'pertaining to the hair'. That in turn comes from capillus, 'the hair', which derives from caput, 'head'.
Full origin of capillary →Frequently asked questions
What is a capillary?
In the body, a capillary is a tiny blood vessel that connects an artery to a vein. In physics and chemistry, it is a very narrow tube that liquid can rise through.
What is capillary action?
It is the movement of liquid through a very narrow tube or channel, as when liquid is drawn up by surface tension.
Why is it called a capillary?
The word comes from Latin capillāris, meaning relating to hair. It refers to how fine and slender these vessels and tubes are.
