Venule
/ˈvɛnjuːl/noun
A small vein that carries blood from capillaries toward larger veins.
Did you know?Postcapillary venules are a major site where white blood cells leave the bloodstream during inflammation, squeezing between endothelial cells into surrounding tissue.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wēh₁sneh₂
“A reconstructed ancestral form associated with a vein or blood vessel; the deeper origin is uncertain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
vēna
“A vein, blood vessel, or natural channel.”
Late Latin
Latin
vēnula
“A little vein; the diminutive of vēna.”
17th Century
New Latin
venula
“A small vein, used in anatomical terminology.”
Modern English
English
venule
“A small blood vessel connecting capillaries with larger veins.”