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.

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apheresis British  

/ ˌæfəˈrɛtɪk, 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

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Other Word Forms

• apheretic adjective

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

Compare meaning

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

• apheresis vs. plasmapheresis

Example Sentences

Long covid has also prompted people to travel in search of experimental treatments, including apheresis, or “blood washing,” to eliminate clots that have been associated with prolonged symptoms.

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2023

He doesn’t use an alarm clock — he never needs one — when he wanders downstairs to chug exactly 32 ounces of water to prepare for his 8 a.m. apheresis appointment, or blood platelet donation.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2022

The treatment uses a process called apheresis to extract T cells from the patient and then genetically modifies the cells to add a receptor, the chimeric antigen, which binds with the cancer cells.

From Salon • Aug. 26, 2022

Experimental treatments are being offered at private clinics in Cyprus, Germany, and Switzerland where medics use apheresis, a "blood washing" treatment, and anticoagulants - blood thinning drugs.

From BBC • Aug. 22, 2022

Miltenyi Biotec, a company in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, makes apheresis devices, which remove substances from plasma, and it is developing a technology that would selectively scrub suPAR out of patients' blood.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 19, 2018