sickle cell anemia

noun

: a chronic inherited anemia that occurs primarily in individuals of African, Mediterranean, or southwest Asian ancestry who are homozygous for the gene controlling hemoglobin S and that is characterized especially by episodic blocking of small blood vessels by sickle cells

called also sickle cell disease

Examples of sickle cell anemia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For heaven's sake, does Coulter even know about the classic trade-off, sickle cell anemia? —Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 25 Aug. 2011

Blood products also help to treat chronic conditions such as sickle cell anemia. —Benjamin Plackett, Discover Magazine, 9 Feb. 2023

Gene editors are prime options for curing these diseases, which range from sickle cell anemia to Huntington’s disease and hundreds of other severe conditions. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2020

His death, in a hospital, was caused by complications of sickle cell anemia, his brother Michael said. —Sam Roberts, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sickle-cell anemia

noun

: a serious inherited disease in which small blood vessels become blocked with sickle cells and which occurs mostly in people of African, Mediterranean, or southwest Asian ancestry

Medical Definition

sickle cell anemia

noun

variants also sickle cell disease

: a chronic anemia that occurs in individuals (as those of African or Mediterranean descent) who are homozygous for the gene controlling hemoglobin S and that is characterized by destruction of red blood cells and by episodic blocking of blood vessels by the adherence of sickle cells to the vascular endothelium which causes the serious complications of the disease (as organ failure)