hypoxia

[ hahy-pok-see-uh ]

noun
  1. Biology. a very low level of oxygen, as in an organic environment: The fish have developed a tolerance to the hypoxia of the swamp.

  2. Pathology. an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the body tissues: Premature newborns are routinely placed in incubators to treat or prevent hypoxia.: Compare anoxia (def. 2), hypoxemia.

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Origin of hypoxia

1
First recorded in 1940–45; hyp- + oxy-2 + -ia

Other words from hypoxia

  • hy·pox·ic, adjective

Words Nearby hypoxia

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How to use hypoxia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hypoxia

hypoxia

/ (haɪˈpɒksɪə) /


noun
  1. deficiency in the amount of oxygen delivered to the body tissues

Origin of hypoxia

1
C20: from hypo- + oxy- ² + -ia

Derived forms of hypoxia

  • hypoxic (haɪˈpɒksɪk), adjective

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