dialysis
noun
di·al·y·sis
dī-ˈa-lə-səs 
plural dialyses
dī-ˈa-lə-ˌsēz
1
: the separation of substances in solution by means of their unequal diffusion through semipermeable membranes
especially
: such a separation of colloids from soluble substances
2
: the process of removing blood from an artery (as of a patient affected with kidney failure), purifying it by dialysis, adding vital substances, and returning it to a vein
called also hemodialysis
Examples of dialysis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The storm temporarily shut down a Baxter manufacturing plant in North Carolina that supplied the majority of the country’s intravenous (IV) fluid solutions, including those necessary for at-home dialysis treatment.
—
Joseph Choi, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2024
By December 2016, Looney needed dialysis treatment, in which a patient’s blood vessels are hooked up to a machine that does the job of the kidneys—removing excess fluid and waste from the bloodstream.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024
Looney said it’s been wonderful to live without the need to go to dialysis all day.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
The 15-year old has since been hospitalized and undergoing dialysis for 10 days in an urgent effort to save her kidneys.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dialysis 
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Joseph Choi, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2024
By December 2016, Looney needed dialysis treatment, in which a patient’s blood vessels are hooked up to a machine that does the job of the kidneys—removing excess fluid and waste from the bloodstream.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024
Looney said it’s been wonderful to live without the need to go to dialysis all day.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
The 15-year old has since been hospitalized and undergoing dialysis for 10 days in an urgent effort to save her kidneys.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dialysis
Dictionary Entries Near dialysis
Cite this Entry
“Dialysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialysis. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dialysis
noun
di·al·y·sis
dī-ˈal-ə-səs
plural dialyses
-ə-ˌsēz
1
: the separation of substances in solution by means of their unequal diffusion through membranes with pores of a specified maximum size
especially
: such a separation of colloids from dissolved substances
2
: the process of removing blood from an artery (as of a patient with failing kidneys), purifying it by dialysis, and returning it to a vein
Medical Definition
dialysis
noun
di·al·y·sis
dī-ˈal-ə-səs
plural dialyses
-ˌsēz
1
: the separation of substances in solution by means of their unequal diffusion through semipermeable membranes
especially
: such a separation of colloids from soluble substances
2
: either of two medical procedures to remove wastes or toxins from the blood and adjust fluid and electrolyte imbalances by utilizing rates at which substances diffuse through a semipermeable membrane:
a
: the process of removing blood from an artery (as of a kidney patient), purifying it by dialysis, adding vital substances, and returning it to a vein
called also hemodialysis
b
: a procedure performed in the peritoneal cavity in which the peritoneum acts as the semipermeable membrane
called also peritoneal dialysis
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