Hyperoxygenation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of supplying a body, tissue, or liquid with a greater amount of oxygen than it would normally contain
2. Raising the oxygen level of blood, tissue, or a fluid above its usual concentration through deliberate supply
3. An increase of oxygen content beyond normal levels in a living system or solution, usually achieved by artificial means

Etymology: "Hyperoxygenation" is a straightforward compound: the prefix "hyper-", from Greek "hyper" meaning "over" or "beyond", attached to "oxygenation", the act or process of supplying or treating with oxygen. Together they describe supplying oxygen to something in excess of the normal amount. The base term "oxygenation" is itself a scientific coinage, built on "oxygen", a name chemist Antoine Lavoisier gave the element in the 1780s from Greek roots meaning "acid-former". The prefix "hyper-" is productive in technical English, which is why this kind of compound appears in medicine and physiology, where it refers to raising oxygen levels above what is normal.

Synonyms: oxygenation, oxygen enrichment