# vena cava

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌviːnə ˈkeɪvə/

## Definitions
1. Either of the two large veins that take oxygen depleted blood, from the upper body and from the lower body, and return it to the right atrium of the heart.

## Etymology
Literally "hollow vein."

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/vena-cava