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Meaning & use

the universal recipient

noun·Advancedmedicalbiology

Last updated

UK/ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsl rɪˈsɪpiənt/
US/ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsl rɪˈsɪpiənt/

Meanings

  1. nounsingularmedicalbiology

    A person whose blood group is AB positive, so their body accepts red blood cells from any blood group.

    Grammar: Used with 'the' and normally singular: the universal recipient can receive any blood type.

    Patterns

    • be the universal recipient
    • the universal recipient of something

    Because her blood is AB positive, she is called the universal recipient.

    Doctors say the universal recipient can safely receive red cells from every other group.

    In an emergency, blood banks still prefer to give the universal recipient blood that matches exactly.

  2. nounsingularfigurativetechnical

    In a broader medical or technical context, a person or system that can take in material from any source without harm.

    Grammar: Figurative use; still takes 'the' and is rarely plural: the software acts as the universal recipient of data.

    Patterns

    • act as the universal recipient
    • the universal recipient of something

    Some engineers describe this port as the universal recipient because it accepts every type of cable.

    The new database is a universal recipient, taking files in any format.

Common combinations

the universal recipient of blood
Only a small number of patients are the universal recipient of blood.
be known as the universal recipient
People with AB positive blood are known as the universal recipient.
the universal recipient blood type
The universal recipient blood type is AB positive.
the universal donor and the universal recipient
In class we learned the difference between the universal donor and the universal recipient.

Synonyms and how they differ

AB positive
The everyday name for the blood group; use it when talking to patients, and keep 'the universal recipient' for medical explanations.
recipient
Simply means someone who receives something; it does not by itself say which blood groups are safe.

Opposites

the universal donor

Word family

recipient noun
a person who receives something, such as blood or an award
receive verb
to get or be given something
universal adjective
true of or shared by everyone or everything

Commonly confused: the universal recipient or the universal donor? the universal recipient or donor?

the universal recipient vs the universal donor

This is the opposite idea: a person with O negative blood whose blood can be given to almost anyone, while the universal recipient can receive from almost anyone.

the universal recipient vs donor

A donor gives blood or an organ; a recipient receives it, so the two words are easy to mix up in a sentence.

Practice

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