phle·bot·o·my
fli-ˈbät-ə-mē 
plural phlebotomies
: the letting of blood (as by venipuncture) for transfusion, apheresis, diagnostic testing, or experimental procedures and widely used in the past to treat many types of disease but now limited to the treatment of only a few specific conditions (as hemochromatosis and polycythemia vera)
called also venesection, venotomy
Cite this Entry
“Phlebotomist.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/phlebotomist. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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