leukapheresis
|leu-ka-phe-re-sis|
🇺🇸
/ˌluːkəfəˈriːsɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌljuːkəfəˈriːsɪs/
removal of white blood cells
Etymology
'leukapheresis' originates from Greek elements: 'leuk-' (from Greek 'leukos') meaning 'white' and 'apheresis' (from Greek 'aphairesis') meaning 'a taking away (removal)'.
'leukapheresis' formed in modern medical English by combining the prefix 'leuk-' with 'apheresis' (itself from Greek 'aphairesis' via Latin/medical usage), resulting in the coinage used in 20th-century clinical practice.
Initially composed to mean 'removal of white (cells)', the term has retained that specific technical meaning in modern medical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a medical procedure in which white blood cells (leukocytes) are separated from a patient's blood and removed, often to treat diseases or collect cells for transfusion or research.
The patient underwent leukapheresis to reduce the number of circulating white blood cells.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/04 15:00