apheresis
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Alternative forms [edit]
- aphaeresis (UK, Canada)
- aphæresis (archaic)
Etymology [edit]
From Latin aphaeresis, from Ancient Greek ἀφαίρεσις (aphairesis, “a taking away”), from ἀφαιρέειν (aphaireein) (from ἀφ- (aph-, “aph-”, variant of ἀπό (apo, “off”, “away from”) before an aspirated vowel) + αἱρέειν (aireein, “to take”, “to snatch”)) + -σις (-sis, suffix forming nouns of action); the grammatical sense developed in Latin.[1]
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
apheresis (plural aphereses) (US, Canada)
- (linguistics, prosody)[1] Elision, suppression, or complete loss of a letter or sound (syllable) from the beginning of a word, such as the development of special from especial; procope.[1]
- (medicine, specific, still current) The removal of blood from a patient, and the removal of certain components (such as platelets) from that blood, followed by the transfusion of the filtered blood back to the donor (patient).
- (medicine, general, obsolete)[1] Extirpation or extraction of a superfluity (especially a pathological one) from the body, especially blood.
Synonyms [edit]
- (medicine): pheresis, hemapheresis
- (linguistics): prosiopesis
Hyponyms [edit]
- (linguistics, prosody): aphesis
Coordinate terms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
loss of letters or sounds from the beginning of a word
