Definition

Relating to a type of large, abnormal red blood cell that is often associated with certain types of anemia.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with a megaloblastic anemia, which is characterized by the presence of megaloblasts in the blood.

Conversation

I just learned about megaloblastic anemia in my biology class.

Oh really? What does that mean?

It refers to a type of anemia caused by the presence of megaloblastic cells in the blood.

That sounds interesting! I had no idea there were different types of anemia.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Megaloblastic → It is formed from "megalo-" (from Greek "megalos", meaning large) and "blastic" (from Greek "blastos", meaning germ or bud). The term describes cells that are larger than normal due to abnormal development, particularly in the context of blood cells.

Memory Tip

Think of 'large' ('megalo-') cells that are 'developing' ('blastic') abnormally — that's what megaloblastic refers to.

Visually Confused Words