apheresis

[ uh-fer-uh-sis for 1; af-uh-ree-sis for 2 ]

/ əˈfɛr ə sɪs for 1; ˌæf əˈri sɪs for 2 /

noun

Also aphaeresis. 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.

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.

Nearby words

aphelandra, aphelion, apheliotropic, apheliotropism, aphemia, apheresis, apheretic, aphesis, aphetic, aphid, aphid lion

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

Related forms

aph·e·ret·ic

[af-uh-ret-ik] /ˌæf əˈrɛt ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for apheresis

apheresis

aphaeresis

/ (əˈfɪərɪsɪs) /

noun

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

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

Derived Forms

apheretic or aphaeretic (ˌæfəˈrɛtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for apheresis

C17: via Late Latin from Greek, from aphairein to remove

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

Medicine definitions for apheresis

apheresis

[ ăf′ə-rē′sĭs ]

n.

A procedure in which blood is drawn from a donor and separated into its components, some of which are retained, such as plasma or platelets, and the remainder returned by transfusion to the donor.hemapheresis