Dictionary Definition
phlebotomy n : surgical incision into a vein;
used to treat hemochromatosis [syn: venesection]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
From Old French flebothomi (modern phlébotomie), from late Latin phlebotomia, from Greek φλεβοτόμος ‘that opens a vein’, from φλέπς ‘vein’.Pronunciation
/flɪˈbɒtəmi/Noun
- The opening of a vein,
either to withdraw blood
or for letting blood; venesection.
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- 1819: He had even taken from his pocket a cupping apparatus, and was about to proceed to phlebotomy, when the object of his anxious solicitude suddenly revived — Walter Scott, Ivanhoe
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Extensive Definition
Phlebotomy may refer to:
- Venipuncture, the practice of collecting blood samples. It is also the recommended treatment for hemochromatosis, an iron overload disorder
- Bloodletting, the ancient medical practice