Polycythaemia
pol-ee-sy-THEE-mee-uh
Word origin · Greek elements
prefixpoly-many, muchGreek polýs ‘much, many’rootcyt/ocellGreek kýtos ‘container, receptacle, body’suffix-aemiacondition of the bloodGreek haîma + -ia ‘blood + noun ending’
poly- (many) + cyt- (cell) + -haemia (blood condition): literally 'many cells in the blood'. Clinically it refers to an increased red cell mass.
History: A 19th-century formation. First recorded in English 19th century.
Definition
Increased red blood cell mass causing hyperviscosity.
Related words
Specialty
🏥 Haematology