hypoxia
Americannoun
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Biology. a very low level of oxygen, as in an organic environment.
The fish have developed a tolerance to the hypoxia of the swamp.
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Pathology. an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the body tissues.
Premature newborns are routinely placed in incubators to treat or prevent hypoxia.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of hypoxia
First recorded in 1940–45; hyp- ( def. ) + oxy- 2 ( def. ) + -ia ( def. )
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Explanation
When a patient has hypoxia, some area of their body doesn't get enough oxygen. One of the symptoms of hypoxia is discolored skin, which can appear either bluish or bright red. There are many causes of hypoxia, which can affect either the entire body or just specific organs. Premature babies frequently suffer from hypoxia because their lungs are underdeveloped, and both mountain climbers and scuba divers are also at risk of developing hypoxia. When it occurs at high altitudes, hypoxia is called "altitude sickness." Hypoxia was coined in the mid-20th century, from the Greek hypo, "under," and oxygen.
Vocabulary lists containing hypoxia
National Nurses Week: Medical Branches and Conditions
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This Week in Words: July 7 - 13, 2018
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Into Thin Air
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Drowning is the endpoint of death in the water, but we're trying to determine the actual cause of death: hypothermia? Hypoxia? Swimming induced pulmonary edema?"
From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024
The portable, noninvasive oximeters were “a true innovation,” said Dr. Phil Bickler, a neuroanesthesiologist who directs the Hypoxia Research Laboratory at UC San Francisco.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2024
Hypoxia is a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching body tissues.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2020
Hypoxia can be a concern in high-altitude regions, or when a plane loses air pressure.
From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2018
Hypoxia involving cardiac muscle or brain tissue can lead to cell death and severe impairment of brain or heart function.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
