vain/vane/vein

vain (vān)

Adjective

• Not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless: a vain attempt.
• Lacking substance or worth: vain talk.
• Excessively proud of one's appearance or accomplishments; conceited.

vane (vān)

Noun

• A weathervane.
• Any of several usually relatively thin, rigid, flat, or sometimes curved surfaces radially mounted along an axis, as a blade in a turbine or a sail on a windmill, that is turned by or used to turn a fluid.
• The flattened, weblike part of a feather, consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft.
• A sight on a quadrant or compass.
• One of the metal guidance or stabilizing fins attached to the tail of a bomb or other missile.

vein (vān)

Noun

• Anatomy. Any of the membranous tubes that form a branching system and carry blood to the heart.
• Botany. One of the vascular bundles or ribs that form the branching framework of conducting and supporting tissues in a leaf or other expanded plant organ. Also called nervure.
• Zoology. One of the horny ribs that stiffen and support the wing of an insect. Also called nervure.
• Geology. A regularly shaped and lengthy occurrence of an ore; a lode.
• A long wavy strip of a different shade or colour, as in wood or marble, or as mould in cheese.

Verb. Transitive

• To supply or fill with veins.
• To mark or decorate with veins.