Definition

A serious illness that occurs when harmful germs or their toxins enter the blood, leading to widespread infection in the body.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with septicemia after she showed symptoms of severe infection.

Conversation

I heard that someone in our neighborhood was hospitalized with septicemia.

Really? That sounds serious; I hope they recover soon.

Yeah, it's scary how quickly infections can lead to something like septicemia.

Absolutely, we should all be more careful about hygiene.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Septicemia → It is formed from "septic" (from Greek "septikos", meaning putrefactive or causing decay) and "-emia" (from Greek "haima", meaning blood). The word refers to a condition involving putrefactive bacteria in the blood, leading to severe illness.

Memory Tip

Think of 'putrefactive' ('septic') bacteria affecting the 'blood' ('-emia') — that's why septicemia refers to a serious blood infection.

Visually Confused Words