capillary
C1Technical / Scientific / Academic
Definition
Meaning
An extremely narrow blood vessel, the smallest in the body, connecting arteries and veins, where oxygen and nutrients are exchanged with tissues.
Anything resembling a hair in fineness, slenderness, or tubular shape, such as the narrow spaces between particles in soil or the thin tubes in scientific instruments that draw up liquid by capillary action.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a technical/medical noun. Its adjectival use ('capillary action', 'capillary tube') is common in physics/chemistry, describing the attraction of liquid to a solid surface in narrow spaces.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. UK English may slightly favour the spelling-influenced pronunciation with stress on the second syllable (/kəˈpɪləri/), while US English often uses first-syllable stress (/ˈkæpəleri/). Both pronunciations are understood in both regions.
Connotations
Neutral, purely technical/descriptive in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally specialised in both regions; rarely encountered outside scientific/medical contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[ADJ] + capillary (e.g., pulmonary capillary, arterial capillary)capillary + [NOUN] (e.g., capillary density, capillary leakage)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Frequent in biology, medicine, physics, chemistry, and engineering contexts (e.g., 'The experiment demonstrated capillary action in porous materials').
Everyday
Rare. If used, typically in health contexts (e.g., 'The doctor said I had broken capillaries on my face').
Technical
The primary domain. Essential terminology in medicine (anatomy, physiology), fluid dynamics, soil science, and materials science.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- []
American English
- []
adverb
British English
- []
American English
- []
adjective
British English
- The capillary rise of water in the soil sample was measured.
- They used a fine capillary tube for the chromatography.
American English
- Capillary action is what makes a paper towel absorb a spill.
- The material's capillary properties were analyzed.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- (Not typically taught at A2)
- Tiny blood vessels called capillaries are everywhere in your body.
- The nurse took a blood sample from a capillary in my finger.
- Oxygen passes from the capillaries into the surrounding muscle tissue.
- Broken capillaries can sometimes cause small red marks on the skin.
- The study examined the effect of hypertension on capillary permeability and fragility.
- Capillary action, driven by surface tension and adhesion, is crucial for water transport in plants.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'capillary' containing the word 'hair' (from Latin *capillus*). It's a vessel as fine as a hair.
Conceptual Metaphor
TUBE/CHANNEL FOR FLOW (e.g., 'capillaries of information' in a network).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'capitan' (капитан).
- The Russian 'капилляр' is a direct cognate with identical meaning, so no semantic trap.
Common Mistakes
- Mispronunciation: /ˈkæpɪlæri/ (incorrect ending).
- Misspelling: 'capilary' (missing one 'l'), 'capillery'.
- Using as a general term for any blood vessel.
Practice
Quiz
In human biology, what is the primary function of a capillary?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'capillary' is exclusively a noun and an adjective in modern English. There is no standard verb form.
Capillaries are microscopic, thin-walled vessels where material exchange occurs. Veins are larger vessels that carry blood back to the heart under lower pressure.
Yes. In physics and engineering, 'capillary' describes any very narrow tube or the phenomenon of a liquid rising in such a tube (capillary action), like water in a thin straw or in concrete.
There are two common pronunciations. British English often uses /kəˈpɪləri/ (kuh-PIL-uh-ree), while American English often uses /ˈkæpəleri/ (KAP-uh-lair-ee). Both are correct.