capillary
pronunciation
How to pronounce capillary in British English:
UK [kəˈpɪləri]
How to pronounce capillary in American English:
US [ˈkæpəleri]
-
- Noun:
- a tube of small internal diameter; holds liquid by capillary action
- any of the minute blood vessels connecting arterioles with venules
-
- Adjective:
- of or relating to hair
- long and slender with a very small internal diameter
Word Origin
- capillary
- capillary: see dishevelled
- capillary (adj.)
- 1650s, "of or pertaining to the hair," from Latin capillaris "of hair," from capillus "hair" (of the head); perhaps related to caput "head" (but de Vaan finds this "difficult on the formal side" and "far from compelling, since capillus is a diminutive, and would mean 'little head', which hardly amounts to 'hair'"). Borrowed earlier as capillar (14c.). Meaning "taking place in capillary vessels" is from 1809. Capillary attraction attested from 1813. As a noun, "capillary blood vessel," from 1660s.
Example
- 1. Each nephron contains a tuft of capillary blood vessels ( glomerulus ) and tiny tubules that lead to larger collecting tubes .
- 2. The tube formed part of a device called a capillary viscometer used to measure viscosities .
- 3. I picked him out quickly but the capillary action had already pulled the dark liquid high up into his legs .
- 4. One study published in 2007 on the cosmetic benefit of drinking water suggests that 500 ml of water increases capillary blood flow in the skin .
- 5. Myriad animal studies have shown that , among other brain benefits , aerobic exercise increases capillary development in the brain , meaning more blood supply , more nutrients and - a big requirement for brain health - more oxygen .