universal donor

noun

: a person with blood group O blood which can be donated to any recipient

also : the blood of such a person

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web If his vital signs budged, type O negative blood—the universal donor—would have to go in. —

Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2011 Luckily, there is a universal donor that can be used on everyone. —

Caitlin Mclean, USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2022 According to the American Red Cross, O negative blood is the universal donor. —

Caitlin Mclean, USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2022 Cheryl and Bobbie didn’t have the same blood type; however, as Type O, Cheryl was a universal donor. —

Stephanie Mansfield, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 Type A blood converted to universal donor blood with help from bacterial enzymes Get more great content like this delivered right to you! —

Alex Fox, Science | AAAS, 14 June 2019 Blood drive Friday at veterans center A universal donor blood drive in honor of Beverly Woyton with the San Diego Blood Bank is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the Veterans Association of North County, 1617 Mission Ave. —

San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2019 In fact, already all of our pigs are blood type O, which is a universal donor type. —

Christian Bourge, Popular Mechanics, 30 July 2013 The search for a donor was complicated by his blood type, O Positive, which makes him a universal donor, but only able to receive a kidney from a person with his blood type. —

Patrick Martin, chicagotribune.com, 4 Feb. 2018 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of universal donor was in 1920

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near universal donor

universal dial

universal donor

universal grammar

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Universal donor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/universal%20donor. Accessed 27 Jan. 2023.

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