hemophilia

[ hee-muh-fil-ee-uh, -feel-yuh, hem-uh- ]

noun

1. any of several X-linked genetic disorders, symptomatic chiefly in males, in which excessive bleeding occurs owing to the absence or abnormality of a clotting factor in the blood.

hemophilia

/ hē′mə-fĭl′ē-ə /

1. Any of several hereditary coagulation disorders, seen almost exclusively in males, in which the blood fails to clot normally because of a deficiency or an abnormality of one of the clotting factors .

hemophilia

1. A hereditary disease caused by a deficiency of a substance in the blood that aids in clotting. Hemophiliacs can bleed to death even from small cuts and bruises, because their blood has largely lost the ability to clot.

Notes

Queen Victoria of Britain , whose descendants have been kings and queens of several countries in Europe , carried the gene for hemophilia, which has turned up repeatedly in royal families since her lifetime. Her great-grandson, the heir to the throne of Russia , suffered from the disease, and his parents fell under the influence of the monk Grigori Rasputin in hopes of a miraculous cure. The resulting chaos in the government of Russia helped bring on the Russian Revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union .

Word History and Origins

Origin of hemophilia¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1850–55; hemo-, -philia

Example Sentences

Many of those affected were people with hemophilia, a condition affecting the blood’s ability to clot.

From Seattle Times

In the 20th century, the secret hemophilia of the heir to the Russian empire had a hand in driving the Romanov dynasty to oblivion.

From Los Angeles Times

Many hereditary diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia, are caused by a number of different mutations in the same gene, all of which disable the gene's function.

From Science Daily

Hereditary deafness is the latest condition scientists are targeting with gene therapy, which is already approved to treat illnesses such as sickle cell disease and severe hemophilia.

From Seattle Times

The success of the tests showed that engineered AsCas12f has the potential to be used for human gene therapies, such as treating hemophilia, a disease in which the blood does not clot normally.

From Science Daily