phlebotomize

phlebotomize — verb

  • phlebotomizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • phlebotomizes3rd person singular
  • phlebotomizing-ing form
  • phlebotomizedpast simple

1. to take blood from a person's vein using a needle, usually so that it can be tes

1.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to take blood from a person's vein using a needle, usually so that it can be tested in a laboratory or used for a medical treatment.

Example

The nurse phlebotomized the patient just before the morning blood test.

phlebotomize + patient (direct object)

Esteban sat still while the technician phlebotomized his left arm.

body part as direct object

Common collocations
  • phlebotomize a patient
  • phlebotomize an arm
  • phlebotomize someone for tests
  • phlebotomized by a nurse/technician
  • phlebotomized in a clinic
Synonyms
  • draw blood

    the most common everyday phrase; 'phlebotomize' is formal and clinical

  • take blood

    common in British medical settings; less technical than 'phlebotomize'

Grammar Patterns

phlebotomize + person/body part

Usage Note

The direct object is usually a person or a body part (arm, vein). This verb is mostly used by medical professionals and is less common in everyday conversation, where 'take blood' or 'draw blood' is preferred.

Common Mistakes

The doctor phlebotomized the blood sample.
The doctor phlebotomized the patient to obtain a blood sample.
the object of phlebotomize is the person, not the blood.
The nurse phlebotomized blood from his arm.
The nurse phlebotomized his arm.
the direct object is the person or body part, and the blood is implied.

2. to work as a phlebotomist, regularly taking blood from patients as part of your

2.verbintransitiveC2
Definition

to work as a phlebotomist, regularly taking blood from patients as part of your job in a medical setting.

Example

After finishing her training, Esme began to phlebotomize at the local hospital.

phlebotomize + at [location] (intransitive)

Jiwoo has phlebotomized at the downtown clinic for more than five years.

Common collocations
  • phlebotomize at a hospital
  • phlebotomize in a clinic
  • phlebotomize for a living
  • trained to phlebotomize
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

phlebotomize (no object)

phlebotomize + at/in [location]

Usage Note

Intransitive use — no direct object. The focus is on the profession or activity itself. Distinguish from sense 1, where a specific person is being phlebotomized (transitive).

Common Mistakes

She phlebotomized every day at the clinic.' (correct but unclear object)
She phlebotomized at the clinic every day.
sense 2 is intransitive, so no person/arm object follows the verb.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Draw blood' is the most common everyday phrase used by both medical staff and patients, equivalent to CEFR B1. 'Take blood' is equally common but slightly more typical in British English. 'Bleed' as a transitive verb ('the doctor bled the patient') is a historical term dating back to medieval medicine and is now very rare outside historical contexts; it referred to the now-obsolete practice of bloodletting. 'Phlebotomize' is the formal clinical term, used almost exclusively in medical documentation and professional training rather than in conversation with patients. For typical use, 'draw blood' or 'take blood' is appropriate in most situations, while 'phlebotomize' fits formal medical writing or when a nurse or technician describes their precise technical action.

draw blood ↗take bloodbleed ↗phlebotomize ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • phlebotomize for testing
  • phlebotomize for donation

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from the Greek roots 'phleps' (φλέψ, meaning 'vein') and 'tomē' (τομή, meaning 'cutting'). It passed into Latin as 'phlebotomia', then into French as 'phlébotomiser', and finally entered English in the 17th century as a medical term for opening a vein to let blood.