venation

noun

ve·​na·​tion ve-ˈnā-shən 

vē-

: an arrangement or system of veins (as in the tissue of a leaf or the wing of an insect)

Illustration of venation

• 1 parallel-veined
• 2 net-veined
• 3 dichotomously veined

Examples of venation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kennedy was getting a fresh shave, tufts of udder-fuzz drifting to the floor, revealing her resplendent venation. —Eric Boodman, STAT, 16 July 2024

The leaves had reticulate venation, a web-like pattern of interconnected veins. —Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023

Growers like Proven Winners have a dozen or so new varieties of the showy aroid this year alone, ranging from dark red with green edges (‘Scarlet Flame’) to red-speckled white leaves with dark green edges and venation (‘Splash of Wine’). —Heather Arndt Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 10 Jan. 2020

The bloom is golden with a tracery of magenta venation. —Adrian Higgins, idahostatesman, 21 Feb. 2018

Sarracenia flava, the yellow pitcher, has chartreuse flowers and pitchers, though often with marked venation and natural variation. —The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 3 July 2017

Damage from hungry insects, cold weather or parasites can interrupt leaves’ normal venation patterns. —Laura Sanders, WIRED, 4 Feb. 2010

Sarracenia leucophylla, the white-top pitcher, is another southern pitcher and perhaps the showiest, with the white upper areas of the tubes contrasting strikingly with darker venation. —The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 3 July 2017

Word History

Etymology

Latin vēna vein entry 1 + -ation

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for venation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

venation

noun

ve·​na·​tion ve-ˈnā-shən 

vē-

: an arrangement or system of veins

the venation of the hand

the venation of a leaf