Definition

A condition where there is an increase in a type of white blood cell called basophils in the blood, or the ability of certain cells to attract basic dyes.

Example

The doctor noted the patient's basophilia during the blood test.

Conversation

I was reading about blood disorders and came across the term basophilia.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It refers to an increase in the number of basophils in the blood, which can be a sign of certain conditions.

That sounds interesting! I had no idea there were so many different blood cell types.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Basophilia is formed from "baso-" (from Greek "basis", meaning base or foundation) and "-philia" (from Greek "philia", meaning love or affinity). The term describes a condition characterized by an affinity for or an increase in basophils, a type of white blood cell that is involved in inflammatory responses.

Memory Tip

Think of 'base' ('basso-') as the foundation and 'love' ('-philia') as an attraction — basophilia refers to having a strong attraction or increase in a type of white blood cell.

Visually Confused Words