haemoglobin

British

/ ˌhɛm-, ˌhiːməʊˈɡləʊbɪn /

noun

a conjugated protein, consisting of haem and the protein globin, that gives red blood cells their characteristic colour. It combines reversibly with oxygen and is thus very important in the transportation of oxygen to tissues See also oxyhaemoglobin

"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

Etymology

Origin of haemoglobin

C19: shortened from haematoglobulin, from _haematin + _globulin the two components

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

haemoglobin

Having returned to the USA, Vonn explained she had a six-hour reconstructive operation on Wednesday, but also needed a blood transfusion as she had "low haemoglobin due to all the blood loss and surgeries".

From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026

According to the NHS, sideroblastic anaemia is a disorder where the body produces enough iron but is unable to put it into the haemoglobin.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2025

If there is more haemoglobin in the blood, more oxygen can be carried to the muscles, giving an athlete more resistance to lactic acid burn - helping them go faster for longer.

From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2025

So the therapy disables the switch - named BCL11A – so the adult body starts making fetal haemoglobin once again.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024

Although closely related to haemoglobin or its derivative haemochromogen, the histohaematins are yet totally distinct, and they are found in animals where not a trace of haemoglobin can be detected.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 6 "Cockaigne" to "Columbus, Christopher" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023