Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
erythrocyte sedimentation rate

erythrocyte sedimentation rate

6.3
The speed at which red blood cells fall to the bottom of a test tube, showing inflammation
  • noun
  • /ɪˌrɪθrəˌsaɪt ˌsɛdɪmənˈteɪʃən reɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : velocidad de sedimentación de eritrocitos
  • The patient's erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 38 mm/hr (range of normal: 0 to 15).
  • an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate
  • erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
  • erythrocyte sedimentation rate and leukocytosis

Examples

  • The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), also known as acute phase reactants, can be used to detect inflammation.

    Academic text (2014)

  • Routine investigations, including a complete blood examination, an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and a chest x-ray (CXR), were normal.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The patient's erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 65 mm during the first hour.

    Academic text (2002)

  • However, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is usually markedly increased, and it can be used to monitor disease activity.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated at 47 mm/hr.

    Academic text (2008)

  • The disease is associated with an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, and anemia.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Laboratory abnormalities include leukopenia, an elevated C-reactive protein level, and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ranged between 46 and 95 mm/h.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Laboratory data was normal except for leukocytosis (14,000/mm3) and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (62 mm/1h).

    Academic text (2007)

  • The patient's erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 65 mm during the first hour, indicating possible inflammation.

Synonyms

sed rate
vserythrocyte sedimentation rate
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A blood test that shows how fast red blood cells settle to check for inflammation

is the formal medical term usually used in laboratory reports
sedimentation rate
vserythrocyte sedimentation rate
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A test that measures how fast red blood cells sink in a tube to show infection or disease

is the longer scientific phrase written in full for formal use
ESR
vserythrocyte sedimentation rate
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A blood test that measures how fast red blood cells settle in a tube to show inflammation

is the full phrase written out in formal medical documentation

Surface Forms

erythrocyte sedimentation rate singular
erythrocyte sedimentation rates plural

Morphology

erythrocyte + sedimentation + rate

The phrase is fully compositional: erythrocyte (red blood cell) + sedimentation (settling) + rate (speed/measure) yields the rate at which erythrocytes settle. Although the term is technical and contains a low-frequency noun, the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituent meanings and follows a transparent, cross-linguistic noun-modifier composition.

Etymology

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate comes from a simple lab picture: erythrocyte means 'red blood cell', sedimentation is the settling, and rate is how fast they fall in a test tube. Doctors measure how fast the red cells fall, and a faster fall often shows 'inflammation' or illness, so the name tells what the test measures.