hemophiliac

adjective he·mo·phil·i·ac \ ˌhē-mə-ˈfi-lē-ˌak \

|Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of hemophiliac

: of, resembling, or affected with a blood defect that is characterized by delayed clotting of the blood : of, resembling, or affected with hemophilia

Origin and Etymology of hemophiliac

see hemophilia

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1896

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

hemophiliac

noun

Definition of hemophiliac

: one affected with a blood defect that is characterized by delayed clotting of the blood : one affected with hemophilia — called also bleeder

See hemophiliac defined for English-language learners

See hemophiliac defined for kids

Recent Examples of hemophiliac from the Web

My character is a hemophiliac who, as a young kid, had to get a blood transfusion and ended up with HIV.

— brianne tracy, PEOPLE.com, "Levi Meaden on 'Trying to Navigate' Fame and Keeping a 'Private Life' with Girlfriend Ariel Winter," 11 May 2018
One inmate, a hemophiliac, required $100,000 a month worth of medication.

— samantha melamed, Philly.com, "As Philly jail population declines, where are the savings?," 1 May 2018
Queen Victoria was the first in her family to carry hemophilia B, a blood clotting disorder, but the Queen herself was not a hemophiliac.

— chanel vargas, Town & Country, "16 Fascinating Facts You Didn't Know About Queen Victoria," 4 Jan. 2018
In the early days of the American epidemic, AIDS killed large numbers of hemophiliacs, infected by tainted blood-clotting factors, and Haitians, because the virus had apparently reached the Americas there first.

— robert d. mcfadden, New York Times, "Mathilde Krim, Mobilizing Force in an AIDS Crusade, Dies at 91," 16 Jan. 2018
His early tenure there was a time of miracles for hemophiliacs, with the new treatment known as Factor VIII promising sufferers the once-unimaginable prospect of living normal lives.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Tragedy and blame course through veins of Rep's raw 'Roz and Ray'," 14 Sep. 2017
There was speculation that Nicholas would be replaced by one of his relatives as ruler or as regent for Nicholas and Alexandra’s 12-year-old hemophiliac son, Alexei.

— carolyn harris, Smithsonian, "On the Eve of the Russian Revolution, a Palace Coup Seemed Inevitable, But Where Would it Come From?," 30 Jan. 2017
Ryan was a hemophiliac and contracted AIDS via a blood transfusion at 13.

— emma kate fittes, Indianapolis Star, "Here are 10 of the most famous people who went to high school in Hamilton County," 14 Sep. 2017
Those were the years before Ryan White, the Indiana teen-ager and hemophiliac who died of AIDS in 1990, began to help ease the stigma of the disease and spur more research into treating it.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Rep's 'Roz and Ray' a medical drama with roots in San Diego," 8 Sep. 2017

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