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apheresis

American  
[uh-fer-uh-sis, af-uh-ree-sis] / əˈfɛr ə sɪs, ˌæf əˈri sɪs /

noun

  1. Also the loss or omission of one or more letters or sounds at the beginning of a word, as in squire for esquire, or count for account.

  2. Medicine/Medical. the withdrawal of whole blood from the body, separation of one or more components, and return by transfusion of remaining blood to the donor.


apheresis British  
/ əˈfɪərɪsɪs /

noun

  1. the omission of a letter or syllable at the beginning of a word

  2. a method of collecting blood from donors that enables its different components, such as the platelets or plasma, to be separated out

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of apheresis

1605–15; < Late Latin aphaeresis < Greek aphaíresis a taking away, equivalent to aphairé ( în ) to take away ( ap- ap- 2 + haireîn to snatch) + -sis -sis


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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.

See Examples For:

The bank says Terumo management expects profitability for blood and cell technologies to improve, as resources are redirected toward higher-growth, higher-margin apheresis and blood processing franchises.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

People can donate platelets every seven days compared with every 56 days for whole blood donations and 112 days for apheresis red cells, aka Super Reds.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 9, 2022

About a month passed between the apheresis and when the CAR T cells were ready to be infused.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2022

However, there is, as yet, no published and peer reviewed evidence showing that apheresis and anticoagulation therapy reduce microclots.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2022

She later joined the NIH Clinical Center, whose apheresis clinic was named in her honor after her retirement in 1990.

From Washington Post

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