- ABO system
- n. a system of four types (A, AB, B, and O) by which human blood may be classified, based on the presence or absence of certain inherited antigens.
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nouna classification system for the antigens of human blood; used in blood transfusion therapy; four groups are A and B and AB and O• Syn: ↑ABO blood group system, ↑ABO group• Hypernyms: ↑classification system* * *
\\|āˌbēˈō-, ˌābēˈō-\ nounUsage: usually capitalized A&B&O: the basic system of antigens of human blood behaving in heredity as an allelic unit to produce any of the four blood groups A, B, AB, or O according to the particular antigens passed from parents to child — called also ABO group; compare isoantibody, rh factor* * *
Physiol. a classification of human blood based on the presence on the surface of red blood cells of one or both of two specific antigens, designated A and B, or their absence, designated O: every person has one of four possible inherited blood types, A, B, AB, or O, and has antibodies circulating in the blood that clump with any antigen that is not of that type, persons with type O thus being able to donate blood devoid of the antigens for transfusion to types A, B, and AB but able to receive only blood of type O.[1940-45]* * *
the system that divides human blood into four main groups, A, B, AB, and OThesaurus: heart, blood and circulationhyponym* * *
Useful english dictionary. 2012.