portal vein

noun Anatomy.

the large vein conveying blood to the liver from the veins of the stomach, intestine, spleen, and pancreas.

Origin of portal vein

First recorded in 1835–45

Words nearby portal vein

portal fissure, portal frame, portal hypertension, portal lobule of liver, portal system, portal vein, portal-systemic encephalopathy, portal-to-portal, portal-to-portal pay, portamento, portance

British Dictionary definitions for portal vein

portal vein

noun

any vein connecting two capillary networks, esp in the liver (hepatic portal vein)

Medical definitions for portal vein

portal vein

n.

A wide short vein that is formed by the superior mesenteric and splenic veins behind the pancreas, ascends in front of the inferior vena cava, and divides into right and left branches that ramify within the liver. hepatic portal vein