dialysis

noun

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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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Examples of dialysis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nearly 500,000 people in the United States are on dialysis, a process of mechanically cleaning blood usually done three times a week. — NBC News, "Dialysis clinics to administer Covid-19 antibody drugs," 30 Dec. 2020 Was on dialysis and had my heart broken just days before this picture. — Marianne Garvey, CNN, "Sarah Hyland reveals the moment she felt her absolute worst," 30 Dec. 2020 Lizzie Presser’s story about a Black man in Alabama on dialysis, who tried to get a new kidney for years, is tragic, powerful, and exceptionally reported. — Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, "Longreads Best of 2020: Investigative Reporting," 21 Dec. 2020 For the second time in two years, the state’s profitable kidney dialysis industry was challenged at the ballot box. — Julie Rovner, Scientific American, "How the Election Could Affect Health Care and Drug Policy," 4 Nov. 2020 The effort has yielded more than just clues about the past, as the case of the six dialysis patients in Cambridge shows. — Anchorage Daily News, "Scientists use virus’s genetic code in attempt to control it," 14 Oct. 2020 He recently was placed on dialysis after his kidneys began to fail, another complication brought on by the disease. — Los Angeles Times, "‘They’re coming in younger and coming in sicker’: One hospital’s war with coronavirus," 4 Jan. 2021 Felipe also underwent dialysis and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a treatment that replaces the function of the heart and lungs. — NBC News, "Dec. 8 Coronavirus updates: British woman first to receive approved vaccine," 9 Dec. 2020 Over the years, the nursing home business has been shaped by extra fees for services performed – such as therapy, dialysis or care for diabetes – but with none for defending against infectious disease. — Washington Post, "For the first time, the U.S. will reward nursing homes for controlling the spread of infectious disease," 9 Dec. 2020

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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Last Updated

22 Jan 2021

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“Dialysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialysis. Accessed 25 Jan. 2021.

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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