transfusion

American  

[trans-fyoo-zhuhn] / trænsˈfyu ʒən /

noun

1. the act or process of transfusing.

2. Medicine/Medical. the direct transferring of blood, plasma, or the like into a blood vessel.

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transfusion British  

/ trænsˈfjuːʒən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of transfusing

2. the injection of blood, blood plasma, etc, into the blood vessels of a patient

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transfusion Scientific  

/ trăns-fyo̅o̅′zhən /

1. The transfer of blood or a component of blood, such as red blood cells, plasma, or platelets, from one person to another to replace losses caused by injury, surgery, or disease. Donated blood products are tested for blood type and certain infectious diseases and stored in blood banks until they are used. The blood of the donor is shown to be histologically compatible, or crossmatched, with that of the recipient before transfusion.

2. See more at Rh factor See Note at blood type

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Etymology

Origin of transfusion

1570–80; < Latin trānsfūsiōn- (stem of trānsfūsiō ) decanting, intermingling, equivalent to trānsfūs ( us ) ( transfuse ) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

A transfusion is when doctors put blood into a patient's vein. An accident victim might need a transfusion if he's lost blood. Besides accidents, there are other medical conditions that require blood transfusions, such as heart disease and some kinds of surgery. The blood a patient receives during a transfusion usually comes from donations given by healthy people. You can use the noun transfusion for any transfer of liquid, like the pouring of lemonade from a glass pitcher to a plastic one, though it's most often used to describe the medical procedure.

Example Sentences

"When the doctor said I needed a transfusion, I was terrified," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

When Beatrice Jones was told at the age of 11 she needed a potentially life-saving blood transfusion, she felt "a wave of nausea" as her "whole world suddenly collapsed".

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

At one point since the crash, Vonn said, she received a blood transfusion to raise her hemoglobin levels.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

“I got my blood transfusion when I married my wife.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

She got one blood transfusion after another because her kidneys could no longer filter the toxins from her blood, leaving her nauseated from the poison of her own body.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot