vas

¹

[ vas ]

noun

, Anatomy, Zoology, Botany.

, plural va·sa [vey, -s, uh].

1. a vessel or duct.

vas-

²

1. variant of vaso- before a vowel:

   vasectomy.

vas-

¹

combining_form

1. a variant of vaso-

vas

²

/ væs /

noun

1. anatomy zoology a vessel, duct, or tube that carries a fluid

Word History and Origins

Origin of vas¹

First recorded in 1645–55, vas is from the Latin word vās vessel

Word History and Origins

Origin of vas¹

C17: from Latin: vessel

Example Sentences

“VAS cannot account for where the money went, when and where it was spent, and/or whether it was spent on contract purposes,” the lawsuit states.

From Los Angeles Times

The county lawsuit also alleges executives at VAS, including Do’s daughter, Rhiannon Do, pocketed more than $10 million in county contracts that were meant for VAS to feed the elderly and needy during the pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, the lawsuit alleges VAS transferred money to its chief executive, Peter Ahn Pham, its secretary, Dinh Mai, and to Do’s daughter.

From Los Angeles Times

Attorneys for VAS, Pham and Do have denied any wrongdoing, and allege the organization was guilty only of sloppy recordkeeping.

From Los Angeles Times

LAist was first to report in November about Do directing millions of dollars toward VAS during the pandemic without disclosing his daughter’s ties to the group.

From Los Angeles Times

Words That Use vas-

What does vas- mean?

Vas- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “vessel,” typically referring to blood vessels, such as veins and arteries. It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy.

In some instances, vas- specifically refers to the vas deferens, the duct that carries sperm to the penis.

Vas- is a variant of vaso-, which loses its -o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use vaso- article.

Vas- comes from the Latin vās, meaning “vessel.” The Latin vās is also the source of the word vase, which is, after all, a type of vessel—often for flowers! And the diminutive form of vās is vāsculum, literally “little vessel”; it’s the source of the word vascular, commonly encountered in cardiovascular.

Learn more about cardio- at our Words That Use cardio- and Words That Use cardi- articles.

Examples of vas-

Perhaps you’ve heard of a vasectomy. A vasectomy, the (generally reversible) excision of the vas deferens or a portion it, is usually performed to make men sterile.

We know now that vas- refers to various “vessels” in the body, including the sperm-carrying duct known as the vas deferens. The -ectomy portion of the word vasectomy is a combining form meaning “excision,” specifically the removal of a part of the body. So, a vasectomy is literally just “excision of the vas deferens.”

What are some words that use the combining form vas-?

• vasectomize
• vasitis

There are many other words that begin with the letter vas-, such as vast and vassal, that don’t use vas- as a combining form to refer to blood vessels.

And have you ever used Vaseline? Well, the brand name of this popular petroleum product is actually a combination of the German Wasser (“water”) and the Greek word for oil.

Break it down!

The combining form -itis is often used to denote “inflammation.” And vas- is often specifically used to refer to the vas deferens. With this in mind, what is vasitis?