Definition of "cyanosis" [cy•a•no•sis]

• A bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes resulting from inadequate oxygenation of the blood. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "With too much deoxygenated blood in the arteries, the skin turns from pink to blue (cyanosis comes from the Greek kyanos, meaning dark blue)."
• "Leasure noted Wesley was past the point of cyanosis, which is when the body turns blue because of a lack of oxygen in the blood."
• "Maciak said when he arrived to take over from firefighters, Dziekanski had a condition known as cyanosis, a serious circulation problem that turns the skin blue and progresses from the extremities into the face and body."