First Known Use: 1918
Dictionary
heparin
noun hep·a·rin \ˈhe-pə-rən\
Definition of HEPARIN
: a mucopolysaccharide sulfuric acid ester that is found especially in the liver and lungs, that prolongs the clotting time of blood, and that is used medically in the form of its sodium salt
— hep·a·rin·ized \-rə-ˌnīzd\ adjective
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Origin of HEPARIN
International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek hēpar liver
Medical Dictionary
heparin
noun hep·a·rin \ˈhep-ə-rən\
Medical Definition of HEPARIN
: a glycosaminoglycan sulfuric acid ester that occurs especially in the liver and lungs, that prolongs the clotting time of blood by preventing the formation of fibrin, and that is administered parenterally in the form of its sodium salt in vascular surgery and in the treatment of postoperative thrombosis and embolism—see liquaemin; compare antiprothrombin, antithrombin
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