Definition of "hematocrit" [hematocrit]

• The percentage by volume of packed red blood cells in a given sample of blood after centrifugation. (noun)
• A centrifuge used to determine the volume of blood cells and plasma in a given sample of 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.

• "The hematocrit is a basic, inexpensive screening test for anemia."
• "The hematocrit is the proportion of blood that consists of red blood cells; the lower the hematocrit, the more anemic the patient."
• "One consequence of the extra cells is that the percentage of the blood volume taken up by the cells (the "hematocrit") goes up."