cyanosis
noun
cy·a·no·sis
ˌsī-ə-ˈnō-səs 
: a bluish or purplish discoloration (as of skin) due to deficient oxygenation of the blood
Examples of cyanosis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Capsaicin can be lethal to rats and mice, and symptoms of acute oral toxicity can include a staggering gait, skin redness, and cyanosis — blue lips, nail beds, and skin due to low oxygen levels.
—
Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024
Later, Logan’s condition worsened and he was taken to Danbury Hospital with shortness of breath, rapid and shallow breathing, hypoxia, cyanosis, abnormal and rapid heartbeat and fever, the suit states.
—Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2024
In advanced cases, the person might have cyanosis of their fingertips.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023
Overdoses can cause stupor, changes in pupil size, clammy skin, cyanosis, coma and respiratory failure leading to death.
—Ron Wood, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2023
Blue discoloration of skin or mucous membranes is called cyanosis.
—Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 10 July 2023
Symptoms to look out for include tightness in the chest, persistent cough, extreme fatigue and weakness, cyanosis (when your nails, skin or whites of your eyes turn blue), shortness of breath even when resting, confusion and irrational behavior.
—Marisa Sullivan, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2023
She was covered in the white powder, was pulseless, apneic, and had dried blood in her nostrils; her lips and tongue showed signs of cyanosis, the bluish discoloration that happens, usually around the lips and fingertips, because of a lack of oxygen in the blood.
—Melissa Chadburn, The New York Review of Books, 27 Aug. 2020
The first thing that came to Fishbein’s mind was cyanosis — not getting enough oxygen to the tissues.
—Lisa Sanders, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2020
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Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024
Later, Logan’s condition worsened and he was taken to Danbury Hospital with shortness of breath, rapid and shallow breathing, hypoxia, cyanosis, abnormal and rapid heartbeat and fever, the suit states.
—Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2024
In advanced cases, the person might have cyanosis of their fingertips.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023
Overdoses can cause stupor, changes in pupil size, clammy skin, cyanosis, coma and respiratory failure leading to death.
—Ron Wood, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2023
Blue discoloration of skin or mucous membranes is called cyanosis.
—Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 10 July 2023
Symptoms to look out for include tightness in the chest, persistent cough, extreme fatigue and weakness, cyanosis (when your nails, skin or whites of your eyes turn blue), shortness of breath even when resting, confusion and irrational behavior.
—Marisa Sullivan, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2023
She was covered in the white powder, was pulseless, apneic, and had dried blood in her nostrils; her lips and tongue showed signs of cyanosis, the bluish discoloration that happens, usually around the lips and fingertips, because of a lack of oxygen in the blood.
—Melissa Chadburn, The New York Review of Books, 27 Aug. 2020
The first thing that came to Fishbein’s mind was cyanosis — not getting enough oxygen to the tissues.
—Lisa Sanders, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Cyanosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyanosis. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cyanosis
noun
cy·a·no·sis
ˌsī-ə-ˈnō-səs
plural cyanoses
-ˌsēz
: a bluish or purplish discoloration (as of skin) due to deficient oxygenation of the blood
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