anti-hemolytic
|an-ti-he-mo-lyt-ic|
/ˌæn.tiˌhiːməˈlɪtɪk/
against red blood-cell breakdown
Etymology
'anti-hemolytic' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') and 'hemolytic' from New Latin/Greek 'haimolytikos', where 'haimo-' (from Greek 'haima') meant 'blood' and 'lytikos' meant 'able to loosen or dissolve'.
'hemolytic' comes from Greek 'haima' (blood) + 'lytikos' (able to dissolve), via New Latin 'haemolyticus' into English as 'hemolytic'; adding the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-' produced the compound 'anti-hemolytic' in modern medical English.
Initially the root 'hemolytic' described causing hemolysis ('breaking down blood cells'); with the prefix 'anti-' the compound came to mean 'against or preventing hemolysis', the sense used in modern medical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance or agent that prevents or reduces hemolysis.
The lab used an anti-hemolytic to protect red blood cells during transport.
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Adjective 1
preventing, inhibiting, or reducing hemolysis (the breakdown or destruction of red blood cells).
An anti-hemolytic preservative was added to the sample to keep the red blood cells intact.
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Last updated: 2025/10/31 04:32