Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

hemoglobin

/ˌhimoʊˈɡloʊbɪn/ noun

Latin root: globus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hemoglobin at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A hemoprotein composed of globin and heme that gives red blood cells their characteristic color; function primarily to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues.
fish have simpler hemoglobin than mammals

Origin

Originally hematinoglobulin, from hematin (from Ancient Greek αἷμα (haîma, “blood”) + -in) + -o- + globulin (from Latin globus (“ball, sphere”) + -in).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word