First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
phlebotomy
noun phle·bot·o·my \fli-ˈbä-tə-mē\
plural phle·bot·o·mies
Definition of PHLEBOTOMY
: the letting of blood for transfusion, diagnosis, or experiment, and especially formerly in the treatment of disease —called also venesection
— phle·bot·o·mist \-mist\ noun
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Origin of PHLEBOTOMY
Middle English fleobotomie, from Middle French flebothomie, from Late Latin phlebotomia, from Greek, from phleb- + -tomia -tomy
Medical Dictionary
phlebotomy
noun phle·bot·o·my \fli-ˈbät-ə-mē\
plural phle·bot·o·mies
Medical Definition of PHLEBOTOMY
: the letting of blood for transfusion, apheresis, diagnostic testing, or experimental procedures and widely used in the past to treat many types of disease but now limited to the treatment of only a few specific conditions (as hemochromatosis and polycythemia vera)—called also venesection, venotomy
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