blood transfusion

American  

noun

1. the injection of blood from one person or animal into the bloodstream of another.

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transfusion, blood Cultural  

1. The injection of blood received from a donor into the bloodstream of another individual having a compatible blood type. A person may need a blood transfusion if a great deal of blood has been lost through surgery or trauma.

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If the blood supply is contaminated, diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS can be passed to someone who receives a blood transfusion.

Etymology

Origin of blood transfusion

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

“I got my blood transfusion when I married my wife.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

The second time it happened, Harrison experienced life-threatening sepsis and had to travel to a hospital outside her insurance network to receive a blood transfusion, the complaint states.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

The network desperately needed something fresh – not just a facelift, but a full blood transfusion.

From Salon • Aug. 2, 2025

From June, patients signing up to a GP practice, who received a blood transfusion before 1996, will be offered a test for hepatitis C.

From BBC • May 18, 2025

She got one blood transfusion after another because her kidneys could no longer filter the toxins from her blood, leaving her nauseated from the poison of her own body.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot