leukaemia

British

/ luːˈkiːmɪə /

noun

an acute or chronic disease characterized by a gross proliferation of leucocytes, which crowd into the bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes, etc, and suppress the blood-forming apparatus

"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 leukaemia

C19: from _leuco- + Greek haima blood

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.

See Examples For:

leukaemia

A 24-year-old woman has died just weeks after beginning fundraising for life-saving leukaemia treatment.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

A second donation will be made to Leukaemia UK to fund a research grant which will support the development of new ideas and translate scientific advances into clinical practice for leukaemia treatment.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells, and acute leukaemia means it progresses quickly and aggressively, and usually requires immediate treatment.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

A woman given six months to live after her leukaemia returned says the thought of leaving her identical twin sister alone is "unthinkable".

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

Causes.—It comes from malaria, syphilis or leukaemia, etc.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Thomas Jefferson Ritter

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