Hemoglobin
/ˌhiːməˈɡloʊbɪn/noun
The iron-containing protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen.
Did you know?The term was coined in the 19th century from Greek haima/haimato- (“blood”) + Latin globus (“sphere”), so the word itself is a hybrid of two classical languages.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
haima
“blood”
Latin
Latin
globus
“sphere, ball, mass”
19th Century
English
hemoglobin
“scientific term for the oxygen-carrying protein in blood”
Modern English
English
hemoglobin
“the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells”
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