transfusion

noun

trans·​fu·​sion tran(t)s-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: an act, process, or instance of transfusing

especially : the process of transfusing fluid (such as blood) into a vein or artery

2

: something transfused

transfusional

tran(t)s-ˈfyü-zh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Did you know?

When blood transfusions were first attempted by Europeans in the early 1600s, they were met with skepticism, since the established practice was to bleed patients, not transfuse them with blood. Some patients were transfused with animal blood, and so many died as a result that by 1700 transfusions had been widely outlawed. Not until 1900 were the major blood groups (A, B, AB, and O) recognized, making transfusions safe and effective.

Examples of transfusion in a Sentence

Without a transfusion her chances of survival were slim.

Recent Examples on the Web

It was named after Charles R. Drew, a distinguished surgeon and former chair of surgery at Howard University whose work focused on blood banking and blood plasma storage and transfusion. —Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024

The seemingly benign therapy of periodic transfusions carries its own risks, including a toxic overload of iron that has to be scavenged from the body. —Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

Hundreds of hospitals across the Southeast faced disruptions to their ability to obtain blood for transfusions after nonprofit OneBlood, a donation service, fell victim to a ransomware attack. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2024

Those transfusions over time can cause iron to build up within organs such as the liver, lungs and heart and can cause damage severe enough to affect his overall health and life expectancy. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing transfusion

• blood transfusion

Kids Definition

transfusion

noun

trans·​fu·​sion tran(t)s-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: an act, process, or instance of transfusing

especially : the process of transfusing a fluid and especially blood into a blood vessel

2

: something transfused

Medical Definition

transfusion

noun

trans·​fu·​sion tran(t)s-ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: the process of transfusing fluid (as blood) into a vein or artery

2

: something transfused