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• blood transfusion
  blood transfusion

  noun

  the injection of blood from one person or animal into the bloodstream of another.
• transfusion, blood
  transfusion, blood

  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.

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

On Wednesday, authorities in central state of Madhya Pradesh said five children with thalassemia, aged three to 15, have tested positive for HIV, prompting concerns over blood transfusion practices.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

He remembered that on Christmas Day 1988 - after an accident - he had been given a blood transfusion at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

From BBC • Oct. 6, 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

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