vein

Universal Words noun 1 [C] any of the tubes that carry blood from all parts of the body to the heart: the jugular vein * The nurse was having trouble finding a vein in his arm. compareARTERY seealsoVARICOSEVEIN 2 [C] any of the very thin tubes that form the frame of a leaf or an insect's wing 3 [C] a narrow strip of a different colour in some types of stone, wood and cheese 4 [C] a thin layer of minerals or metal contained in rock: a vein of gold SYNSEAM 5 [sing.] ~ (of sth) an amount of a particular quality or feature in sth: They had tapped a rich vein of information in his secretary. * There was a vein of proverbial wisdom in what he said. 6 [sing.,U] a particular style or manner: A number of other people commented in a similar vein. * 'And that's not all,' he continued in angry vein. * Other speakers tackled the same problem in a lighter vein.