dialysis
Americannoun
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Physical Chemistry. the separation of crystalloids from colloids in a solution by diffusion through a membrane.
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Biochemistry. the separation of large molecules, as proteins, from small molecules and ions in a solution by allowing the latter to pass through a semipermeable membrane.
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Medicine/Medical. (in kidney disease) the process by which uric acid and urea are removed from circulating blood by means of a dialyzer.
noun
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the separation of small molecules from large molecules and colloids in a solution by the selective diffusion of the small molecules through a semipermeable membrane
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med See haemodialysis peritoneal dialysis
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The separation of the smaller molecules in a solution from the larger molecules by passing the solution through a membrane that does not allow the large molecules to pass through.
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A medical procedure in which this technique of molecular separation is used to remove metabolic waste products or toxic substances from the blood. Dialysis is required for individuals with severe kidney failure.
Discover More
A common treatment for kidney disease is the use of a dialysis machine to filter toxic substances from the blood, a function that the kidneys normally perform.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dialysis
First recorded in 1580–90; from Late Latin, from Greek diálysis “separation”; equivalent to dia- + -lysis
Explanation
Dialysis is a crucial medical procedure that functions as an artificial kidney, filtering and cleaning the blood for patients with kidney failure. It also describes a process that separates small particles from large particles in a liquid by using a special membrane. Dialysis has two key meanings. Medically, it’s a life-saving treatment for people whose kidneys can't properly filter their blood: Dialysis uses either a machine or the lining of the abdomen to remove waste and excess fluids. Scientifically, dialysis involves separating different substances in a solution by allowing them to diffuse through semipermeable membranes at varying rates. Dialysis is essential in both healthcare and scientific fields.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dialysis volume stagnated in 2025, but the company is trying to chart a way back to 2% non-acquired volume growth.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
Dialysis four times a week and other complications had taken its toll before he begged for help.
From BBC • Dec. 15, 2024
Dialysis is a traumatic and arduous experience, however.
From Scientific American • Oct. 11, 2023
“This agreement protects patients from the ongoing threats at the ballot and in the legislature while also providing additional wage increases for many health care workers,” Jaycob Bytel, spokesperson for the California Dialysis Council, said.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2023
The other marks relate to single words, as Dialysis or Diæresis, placed over vowels to shew they must be pronounced in distinct syllables, as Raphaël.
From A Museum for Young Gentlemen and Ladies Or, a Private Tutor for Little Masters and Misses by
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
