The loss or omission of a sound or syllable from the beginning of a word over time, such as 'nother' from 'another'; also a medical procedure to remove or separate blood components.
From Greek aphairesis (taking away), from apo- (away) + hairesis (taking). The linguistics sense developed in the 1800s, while the medical sense emerged in the 20th century as blood-separation technology improved.
The word 'bus' came from 'omnibus' through apheresis—and today apheresis machines can remove specific cells or proteins from blood, making them literally life-saving for treating diseases like leukemia and sickle cell.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.