thalassemia

[ thal-uh-see-mee-uh ]

nounPathology.
  1. a hereditary form of anemia, occurring chiefly in people of Mediterranean origin, marked by the abnormal synthesis of hemoglobin and a consequent shortened life span of red blood cells.

Compare Meanings

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

Origin of thalassemia

1
1932; <Greek thálass(a) sea (alluding to the Mediterranean Sea; the anemia was first reported among children in Mediterranean countries) + -emia

Words Nearby thalassemia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use thalassemia in a sentence

Scientific definitions for thalassemia

thalassemia

[ thăl′ə-sēmē-ə ]


  1. Any of a group of inherited forms of anemia occurring chiefly among people of Mediterranean descent, caused by faulty synthesis of part of the hemoglobin molecule

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.