leukemia

American

[loo-kee-mee-uh] / luˈki mi ə /

noun

Pathology.

any of several cancers of the bone marrow that prevent the normal manufacture of red and white blood cells and platelets, resulting in anemia, increased susceptibility to infection, and impaired blood clotting.

leukemia Scientific

/ lo̅o̅-kē′mē-ə /

Any of various acute or chronic neoplastic diseases of the bone marrow in which unrestrained proliferation of white blood cells occurs, usually accompanied by anemia, impaired blood clotting, and enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. Certain viruses, genetic defects, chemicals, and ionizing radiation, are associated with an increased risk of leukemia, which is classified according to the cellular maturity of the involved white blood cells.

leukemia Cultural

A kind of cancer in which the number of white blood cells in the blood greatly increases. Leukemia usually spreads to the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, and other areas of the body, causing destruction of tissues and often resulting in death.

Other Word Forms

antileukemic adjective
leukemic adjective

Etymology

Origin of leukemia

First recorded in 1850–55; earlier leuchaemia, from German Leukämie; equivalent to leuko- + -emia

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Medical care is lacking even for those with terminal conditions such as a 6-year-old with leukemia who was detained along with his family last year.

From Salon

And he prayed that his family would be protected from the atom bomb disease called leukemia.

From Literature

I lost dear classmates to leukemia when I was an undergraduate at Chapman University 25 years ago.

From Los Angeles Times

Doc had stage 4 lymphoma and leukemia—a death sentence.

From The Wall Street Journal

A new artificial intelligence system that examines the shape and structure of blood cells could significantly improve how diseases such as leukemia are diagnosed.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023