1. Plural of apheresis; the loss or omission of a sound or syllable from the beginning of a word.
Usage: linguistics; also spelled 'aphaeresis'
2. A medical procedure in which blood is drawn from a donor, a specific component is separated and retained, and the remaining blood is returned to the donor.
Usage: medical; also called 'apheresis' in singular form

Examples

• The word 'phone' is an example of apheresis, derived from 'telephone' through the loss of the initial syllable.
• In linguistics, aphereses are less common than other types of word formation.
• The patient underwent apheresis to remove excess platelets from the bloodstream.
• Aphereses are used in blood donation centers to collect specific blood components.
• The study examined various aphereses in English slang and informal speech.