internal jugular vein

internal jugular vein (plural internal jugular veins)

1. (anatomy) A vein that collects the blood from the interior of the cranium, the superficial part of the face, and the neck, runs down the neck on the outside of the internal and common carotid arteries, and unites with the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein.

   Coordinate terms: anterior jugular vein, external jugular vein

• “internal jugular vein”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.