1. plural of aphaeresis; the loss or omission of one or more sounds or letters from the beginning of a word
Usage: linguistics; also spelled 'aphesis' in singular form
2. a medical procedure in which blood is withdrawn from a patient, a component is removed or modified, and the blood is returned to the patient
Usage: medical; also called 'apheresis'

Examples

• The word 'squire' is an example of aphaeresis, derived from 'esquire' with the initial sound dropped.
• In linguistics, aphaereses are common in the evolution of many English words.
• The term 'bus' resulted from aphaeresis of the word 'omnibus'.
• Doctors may recommend aphaereses to treat certain blood disorders.
• Multiple aphaereses procedures were performed to manage the patient's condition.