thalassaemia

/ ˌθæləˈsiːmɪə /

noun

1. a hereditary disease, common in many parts of the world, resulting from defects in the synthesis of the red blood pigment haemoglobin Also calledCooley's anaemiaˈkuːlɪz

Word History and Origins

Origin of thalassaemia¹

New Latin, from Greek thalassa sea + -aemia , from it being esp prevalent round the eastern Mediterranean Sea