anemia

American  

[uh-nee-mee-uh] / əˈni mi ə /

Or anaemia

noun

1. Pathology. a quantitative deficiency of the hemoglobin, often accompanied by a reduced number of red blood cells and causing pallor, weakness, and breathlessness.

2. a lack of power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness.

   His writing suffers from anemia.

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anemia British  

/ əˈniːmɪə /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of anaemia

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anemia Scientific  

/ ə-nē′mē-ə /

1. A deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood, as in the amount of hemoglobin or the number or volume of red blood cells. Iron deficiency, often caused by inadequate dietary consumption of iron, and blood loss are common causes of anemia.

2. See also aplastic anemia hemolytic anemia and sickle cell anemia

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anemia Cultural  

1. A condition in which the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen is decreased because of too few red blood cells in circulation or because of too little hemoglobin.

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Discover More

Because people suffering from anemia often appear weak and pale, the term is frequently used to describe general apathy or weakness: “The team's performance has been pretty anemic these past few weeks.”

Other Word Forms

• pseudoanemia noun

Etymology

Origin of anemia

First recorded in 1800–10; from New Latin, from Greek anaimía “bloodlessness, lack of blood”; an- ¹, -emia

Compare meaning

How does anemia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sickle cell anemia vs. anemia
• thalassemia vs. anemia

Example Sentences

What these kerfuffles share is that they are all caused by Britain’s economic anemia but, conspicuously, aren’t about any coherent agenda to reverse it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Japan lost several decades to economic anemia under similar circumstances, and Beijing shows signs of worrying about the same fate.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The first gene editing drug approved for a blood disease -- sickle cell anemia -- targets a cell-type specific enhancer."

From Science Daily

One example is SUPT5H, a gene associated with beta thalassemia, a blood disorder that disrupts hemoglobin production and can lead to moderate to severe anemia.

From Science Daily

Lim notes that these findings have direct relevance for people facing often deadly diseases caused by shortened telomeres, including aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia.

From Science Daily