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

Do Secret Service details for the president and vice president always travel with a cooler of blood in case an emergency transfusion situation transpires? —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024

The company is also engineering special recipes for specific patient populations, as some chronic transfusion patients need blood that is free from certain antigens. —Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2024

Ogburn said that women who came to the E.R. with heavy bleeding were typically given a transfusion and then sent home, only to return later with even more severe hemorrhages. —Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024

The county is using only O-positive blood for its transfusions. —Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman, 25 Jan. 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