Definitions for: Capillary


[n] a tube of small internal diameter; holds liquid by capillary action
[n] any of the minute blood vessels connecting arterioles with venules
[adj] long and slender with a very small internal diameter; "a capillary tube"
[adj] (anatomy) "a capillary network"
[adj] relating to or involving capillarity; "capillary action"; "capillary attraction"



Webster (1913) Definition: Cap"il*la*ry (k[a^]p"[i^]l*l[asl]*r[y^] or
k[.a]*p[i^]l"l[.a]*r[y^]; 277), a. [L. capillaris, fr.
capillus hair. Cf. Capillaire.]
1. Resembling a hair; fine; minute; very slender; having
minute tubes or interspaces; having very small bore; as,
the capillary vessels of animals and plants.

2. Pertaining to capillary tubes or vessels; as, capillary
action.

Capillary attraction, Capillary repulsion, the apparent
attraction or repulsion between a solid and liquid caused
by capillarity. See Capillarity, and Attraction.

Capillarity tubes. See the Note under Capillarity.


Cap"il*la*ry, n.; pl. Capillaries.
1. A tube or vessel, extremely fine or minute.

2. (Anat.) A minute, thin-walled vessel; particularly one of
the smallest blood vessels connecting arteries and veins,
but used also for the smallest lymphatic and biliary
vessels.

Synonyms: capillary tube, capillary tubing, hairlike, thin

See Also: blood vessel, glomerulus, thermometer, tomentum, tomentum cerebri, tube, tubing

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