anemia

a·ne·mi·a also a·nae·mi·a  (-nm-)

n.

A pathological deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood, measured in unit volume concentrations of hemoglobin, red blood cell volume, or red blood cell number.

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[New Latin, from Greek anaimi : an-, without; see a-¹ + haima, blood.]

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anemia

Noun

US anaemia

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anemia  (-nm-)

A deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood, as in the amount of hemoglobin or the number or volume of red blood cells. Iron deficiency, often caused by inadequate dietary consumption of iron, and blood loss are common causes of anemia. See also aplastic anemiahemolytic anemiaand sickle cell anemia

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anemic adjective

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anemia, anaemia

1. a lack of blood in the body.
2. a low proportion of red cells in the blood. — anemic, anaemic, adj.

See also: Disease and Illness

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	anemia - a deficiency of red blood cells anaemia aplastic anaemia, aplastic anemia - anemia characterized by pancytopenia resulting from failure of the bone marrow; can be caused by neoplasm or by toxic exposure erythroblastosis fetalis - severe anemia in newborn babies; the result of Rh incompatibility between maternal and fetal blood; typically occurs when the child of an Rh-negative mother inherits Rh-positive blood from the father; can be diagnosed before birth by amniocentesis congenital pancytopenia, Fanconi's anaemia, Fanconi's anemia - a rare congenital anemia characterized by pancytopenia and hypoplasia of the bone marrow favism - anemia resulting from eating fava beans; victims have an inherited blood abnormality and enzyme deficiency haemolytic anaemia, hemolytic anemia - anemia resulting from destruction of erythrocytes hyperchromic anaemia, hyperchromic anemia - anemia characterized by an increase in the concentration of corpuscular hemoglobin hypochromic anaemia, hypochromic anemia - anemia characterized by a decrease in the concentration of corpuscular hemoglobin hypoplastic anaemia, hypoplastic anemia - anemia resulting from inadequately functioning bone marrow; can develop into aplastic anemia iron deficiency anaemia, iron deficiency anemia - a form of anemia due to lack of iron in the diet or to iron loss as a result of chronic bleeding ischaemia, ischemia - local anemia in a given body part sometimes resulting from vasoconstriction or thrombosis or embolism macrocytic anaemia, macrocytic anemia - anemia in which the average size of erythrocytes is larger than normal microcytic anaemia, microcytic anemia - anemia in which the average size of erythrocytes is smaller than normal malignant anaemia, malignant anemia, pernicious anaemia, pernicious anemia - a chronic progressive anemia of older adults; thought to result from a lack of intrinsic factor (a substance secreted by the stomach that is responsible for the absorption of vitamin B12) refractory anaemia, refractory anemia - any of various anemic conditions that are not successfully treated by any means other than blood transfusions (and that are not associated with another primary disease) crescent-cell anaemia, crescent-cell anemia, drepanocytic anaemia, drepanocytic anemia, sickle-cell anaemia, sickle-cell anemia, sickle-cell disease - a congenital form of anemia occurring mostly in blacks; characterized by abnormal blood cells having a crescent shape blood disease, blood disorder - a disease or disorder of the blood
	2.	anemia - a lack of vitality anaemia symptom - (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease
	3.	Anemia - genus of terrestrial or lithophytic ferns having pinnatifid fronds; chiefly of tropical America genus Anemia family Schizaeaceae, Schizaeaceae - small family of mainly tropical ferns Anemia adiantifolia, pine fern - fern of Florida and West Indies and Central America with rhizome densely clad in grown hairs fern genus - genera of ferns and fern allies