[TA] a plexus formed, in the male, by veins from the testicle and epididymis, consisting of 8 or 10 veins lying in front of the ductus deferens and forming part of the spermatic cord; in the female, the ovarian veins form this plexus between the layers of the broad ligament; in the male, it is part of the thermoregulatory system of the testis, helping to keep the testis at a constant slightly lower temperature than the rest of the body. SYN: plexus venosus pampiniformis [TA].