Capillary

Cap"il*la*ry (kăp"ĭl*l?*r? or kȧ*pĭl"lȧ*r?; 277), a. [L. capillaris, fr. capillus hair. Cf. Capillaire.] 1. Resembling a hair; fine; minute; very slender; having minute tubes or interspaces; having very small bore; as, the capillary vessels of animals and plants.

2. Pertaining to capillary tubes or vessels; as, capillary action.

Capillary attraction, Capillary repulsion, the apparent attraction or repulsion between a solid and liquid caused by capillarity. See Capillarity, and Attraction. -- Capillarity tubes. See the Note under Capillarity.

Cap"il*la*ry, n.; pl. Capillaries (?). 1. A tube or vessel, extremely fine or minute.

2. (Anat.) A minute, thin-walled vessel; particularly one of the smallest blood vessels connecting arteries and veins, but used also for the smallest lymphatic and biliary vessels.