from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Hemophilia \Hem`o*phil"i*a\ (h[=e]`m[.a]*f[i^]l"[i^]*[.a] or
h[e^]m`[.a]*f[i^]l"[i^]*[.a]), n. [NL., fr. Gr. a"i^ma, blood
+ filei^n to love.] (Med.)
A condition characterized by a tendency to profuse and
uncontrollable hemorrhage from the slightest wounds; it is
caused by an absence or abnormality of a clotting factor in
the blood, and is a recessive genetic disease linked to the
X-chromosome, and therefore usually occurs only in males;
there are several specific forms. It may be treated by
administering purified clotting factor. It was formerly
termed {Hematophilia}.
[1913 Webster +PJC]