sickle-cell trait

noun

sick·​le-cell trait ˈsi-kəl-ˈsel- How to pronounce sickle-cell trait (audio)
: an inherited usually asymptomatic blood condition in which some red blood cells tend to sickle but usually not enough to produce anemia and that occurs primarily in individuals of African, Mediterranean, or southwest Asian ancestry who are heterozygous for the gene controlling hemoglobin S

Examples of sickle-cell trait in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If someone inherits just one defective copy, that person is said to have sickle-cell trait but can lead a normal life. Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 10 June 2023 In the early nineteen-fifties, Anthony C. Allison, a geneticist, discovered that the sickle-cell trait confers protection against malaria. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2022 Raheem Mostert will have the lead-back role, but his primary backup, Tevin Coleman, who has the sickle-cell trait, could be limited or sidelined because of poor air quality. Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, 12 Sep. 2020 If the sickle-cell trait is so helpful, why doesn’t everyone have it? Quanta Magazine, 30 Aug. 2016 The San Diego Chargers had wanted to sign Thomas in 2017 until a routine physical turned up the sickle-cell trait. Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, 3 Aug. 2019 Soares has identified the chemical pathway that helps people with the sickle-cell trait tolerate malaria. Quanta Magazine, 30 Aug. 2016 Brown has to manage a sickle-cell trait that can cause muscle degeneration for those who perform strenuous exercise. Childs Walker, baltimoresun.com, 1 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sickle-cell trait.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sickle-cell trait was in 1928

Dictionary Entries Near sickle-cell trait

Cite this Entry

“Sickle-cell trait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sickle-cell%20trait. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

sickle-cell trait

noun
: a usually asymptomatic blood condition in which some red blood cells are sickle cells but usually not enough to produce anemia and which occurs in individuals (as those of African or Mediterranean descent) who are heterozygous for the gene controlling hemoglobin S
Last Updated: - Definition revised
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