whole blood

American  

[hohl bluhd, hohl bluhd] / ˈhoʊl ˈblʌd, ˈhoʊl ˌblʌd /

noun

1. blood directly from the body, from which none of the components have been removed, used in transfusions.

2. relationship between persons through both parents.

---

whole blood British  

noun

1. blood obtained from a donor for transfusion from which none of the elements has been removed

---

whole blood Scientific  

/ hōl /

1. Blood from which no constituent, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, or platelets, has been removed. Whole blood is commonly obtained through blood donation and can be transfused directly or broken down into blood components that can be transfused separately.

---

Etymology

Origin of whole blood

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whole blood

Taking a page from battlefield medicine, Jenkins and some other transfusion experts have proposed “walking blood banks,” in which preidentified donors can be called upon during an emergency to donate whole blood.

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2025

The team developed a self-assembling methodology where synthetic peptides are mixed with whole blood taken from the patient to create a material that harnesses key molecules, cells, and mechanisms of the natural healing process.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2024

During the 12 months of the experiment, one group of firefighters donated plasma every six weeks; a second group donated whole blood every 12 weeks; and the final group did not donate blood at all.

From Salon ● Jan. 29, 2024

People can donate platelets every seven days compared with every 56 days for whole blood donations and 112 days for apheresis red cells, aka Super Reds.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 9, 2022

Jeffrey’s counts were really low, so low that the doctors gave him two transfusions: one of whole blood and one of platelets.This turned the two-day trip into a four-day trip.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick