Hemodilution

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A medical procedure aimed at decreasing the concentration of blood cells through the introduction of a diluent
2. The technique of reducing cell density in blood by infusing a fluid to enhance circulation and overall blood flow
3. A medical process that involves diluting blood cell concentration by adding a fluid to improve vascular function and reduce blood viscosity

Etymology: Hemodilution is a plain technical compound: "hemo-", from Greek "haima" meaning blood, joined to "dilution", the act of making something thinner or weaker by adding liquid. Its parts are old, but the combined term belongs to modern medicine, where it describes deliberately lowering the concentration of blood cells by introducing fluid, a process used to ease the flow of blood through vessels. The "hemo-" element appears in many medical terms, such as "hemoglobin" and "hemorrhage", and it reached English through New Latin and scientific writing rather than ordinary speech. "Dilution" comes from Latin "dilutio", a noun built on "diluere", meaning to wash away, which is how the sense of thinning by water developed.