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Glite Dictionary
polycythemia

polycythemia

1 9.9
A blood condition with too many red blood cells that makes the blood thicker and causes health problems
  • noun
  • /ˌpɑːliˈsaɪθimiə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : policitemia
  • People with polycythemia may experience symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and an increased risk of blood clots.
  • polycythemia vera

Examples

  • "Polycythemia?" Pursing her lips, she crossed to the bed.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Have you ever heard of polycythemia?

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Polycythemia Vera

    Blog text (28)

  • My doctor explained that polycythemia is a disorder characterized by an abnormal increase in red blood cells.

  • Living with polycythemia requires regular monitoring of blood viscosity and adherence to prescribed treatments.

Surface Forms

polycythemia singular
polycythemias plural
polycythaemias plural
polycythaemia singular

Morphology

polycythemia = poly + cyt + hemia

The term uses classical medical elements meaning roughly 'many' + 'cell' + 'blood condition', but its specialized meaning is not predictable for an average learner.

Etymology

Polycythemia comes from Greek parts: poly- 'many', cyt- 'cell', and -emia 'blood'. Think of poly- like in polygon ('many sides') and -emia like in anemia (a blood condition), so polycythemia literally means 'many cells in the blood', which explains why the condition is having too many red blood cells.