thalassaemianoun [ U ]
UK specialized US thalassemia /ˌθæl.əˈsiː.mi.ə//ˌθæl.əˈsiː.mi.ə/a medical condition of the blood in which haemoglobin (= the substance in red blood cells that combines with and carries oxygen around the body, and gives blood its red colour) is not produced in the normal way