dialysis

noun

di·al·y·sis | \ dī-ˈa-lə-səs

plural dialyses\ dī-ˈa-lə-ˌsēz

Definition of dialysis

1 : the separation of substances in solution by means of their unequal diffusion through semipermeable membranes especially : such a separation of colloids from soluble substances

2 : the process of removing blood from an artery (as of a patient affected with kidney failure), purifying it by dialysis, adding vital substances, and returning it to a vein

— called also hemodialysis

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Stephens now has kidney failure, requiring her to undergo dialysis three times a week, and suffers from respiratory issues. — Jennifer Calfas, Time, "She Says She Lost Her Job For Coming Out as Transgender. But Her Biggest Battle Could Come at the Supreme Court Without Kennedy," 3 July 2018 This often involves giving fluid or medicine to hold up the blood pressure, helping the patient to breathe, or sometimes using dialysis to replace kidneys that are not working. — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, "George H.W. Bush has sepsis. Here's what that means.," 24 Apr. 2018 Dakota Brown, 17, of Independence gets dialysis three times a week, and was getting the treatment late Friday afternoon with his parents, Karen and Les Brown, and his girlfriend, Angel Bass, 15, of Independence sitting around him. — Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian, kansascity, "Teens put on gowns and tuxes and get a night to forget their troubles at special prom | The Kansas City Star," 13 Apr. 2018 This required implanting a device called a port into her chest to connect to the dialysis machine. — Zahra Barnes, SELF, "Sarah Hyland Opens Up About Dialysis and Her Second Kidney Transplant," 10 Dec. 2018 Inside the treatment room, the dialysis machines mark the pace, methodically pumping blood in and out of patients lined up on armchairs for the four-hour procedure. — Samantha Pearson, WSJ, "World’s Strangest Opera House, Deep in the Jungle, Makes Unusual Pitch to Locals," 22 May 2018 The eight outreach workers sat around a conference table in Long Beach wrestling with a dilemma involving one of their clients: a homeless man who needed to start dialysis immediately. — Doug Smith, latimes.com, "Homeless outreach teams ready to bring services to the streets," 14 May 2018 With weekly dialysis treatments came a multitude of side effects: weight loss, sciatica, fluid retention and vision damage. — Amanda Mitchell, Marie Claire, "Sarah Hyland Talks to 'Self' About Her Second Kidney Transplant and Suicidal Thoughts," 10 Dec. 2018 Shares of the medical-care services company DaVita rose 9.9% Wednesday after the state of California voted against a proposal that would have limited how much clinics could ask customers to pay for dialysis treatment. — WSJ, "New Winners and Losers Emerge in Stock Market After Midterms," 7 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dialysis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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5 Jun 2019

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The first known use of dialysis was in 1861

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More Definitions for dialysis

dialysis

noun

English Language Learners Definition of dialysis

medical : the process of removing some of a person's blood, cleaning it, and then returning it to the person's body

See the full definition for dialysis in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dialysis

noun

di·al·y·sis | \ dī-ˈal-ə-səs

plural dialyses\ -ˌsēz

Medical Definition of dialysis

1 : the separation of substances in solution by means of their unequal diffusion through semipermeable membranes especially : such a separation of colloids from soluble substances

2 : either of two medical procedures to remove wastes or toxins from the blood and adjust fluid and electrolyte imbalances by utilizing rates at which substances diffuse through a semipermeable membrane:

a : the process of removing blood from an artery (as of a kidney patient), purifying it by dialysis, adding vital substances, and returning it to a vein

— called also hemodialysis

b : a procedure performed in the peritoneal cavity in which the peritoneum acts as the semipermeable membrane

— called also peritoneal dialysis