What does dialyze mean?
Dialyze is a verb meaning to purify a solution by separating its components through a semipermeable membrane — a process known as dialysis. Its most prominent use is in medicine, where it describes treating patients whose kidneys no longer function adequately: blood is passed through a machine that filters out urea, excess minerals, and other waste products that healthy kidneys would normally remove. In chemistry laboratories, to dialyze a solution such as a protein preparation is to let small unwanted molecules diffuse out while retaining larger ones. Because the word belongs to specialized medical and scientific registers, it rarely appears in casual conversation, though kidney disease is common enough that many readers will encounter it. Related forms include the noun "dialysis", the agent noun "dialyzer", and the inflections "dialyzed" and "dialyzing". In British English the verb is spelled "dialyse". Understanding this word helps readers follow discussions of renal care, biomedical research, and laboratory technique with greater clarity and precision.
verbTo separate small molecules from larger ones in a liquid by diffusion through a semipermeable membrane, especially to remove waste products from the blood of a patient whose kidneys are failing.
- (Medicine) To treat a patient's blood or body fluids by means of dialysis, removing waste products and excess fluid when the kidneys cannot do so.
- (Chemistry) To subject a dissolved substance to dialysis, separating smaller particles or ions from larger ones through a semipermeable membrane.
"After her kidneys failed, she needed to dialyze three times a week at a clinic."
"Patients with end-stage renal disease must be dialyzed regularly to survive."
"The chemist dialyzed the protein solution overnight to remove excess salts."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dialyze
Dialyze derives from "dialysis", which comes from the Greek "dialusis" meaning "dissolution" or "separation", formed from "dia-" (through, apart) plus "lysis" (loosening, dissolving), from the Greek verb "lyein" (to loosen). The term entered English scientific vocabulary in the 19th century as chemists developed membrane-separation techniques, and it was later adopted into medicine for the artificial purification of blood. It shares the Greek root "luo/lysis" with words like analysis, paralysis, and catalyst.
Related word forms
How dialyze is actually used
This is a technical, clinical, and scientific term used primarily in medical and laboratory contexts; it is not part of everyday casual speech. The British spelling is "dialyse".
Easily confused with dialyze
"Dialyse" is simply the British spelling of the same verb, while "dialyze" is the American spelling; they mean exactly the same thing.