Deferens

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specific tube within the male reproductive system facilitates the passage of sperm from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct
2. This anatomical structure is responsible for carrying sperm from its storage location to the point of sperm delivery during ejaculation
3. A duct in the male reproductive anatomy transmits sperm from the storage area to the urethra for potential ejaculation

Etymology: The name comes from the Latin phrase "vas deferens," which means roughly "carrying vessel." "Vas" is the noun for a container or vessel, and "deferens" is the present participle of "deferre," from "de-" ("away, down") and "ferre" ("to carry"). So the anatomists who named the tube were describing its job: carrying something away from where it was stored. Latin anatomical terms like this were standardized by early modern anatomists, who used Latin as the common language of medical writing. The phrase was not used by ancient Greek or Roman physicians, who had their own, very different ideas about the reproductive system. In English, the phrase is usually shortened to "vas," and the same Latin root gives us "deferent," an older English adjective meaning "carrying away."