/thal'euh see"mee euh/ , n. Pathol.
a hereditary form of anemia, occurring chiefly in people of Mediterranean origin, marked by the abnormal synthesis of hemoglobin and a consequent shortened life span of red blood cells. Also called Cooley's anemia .
[ 1932; thálass ( a ) sea (alluding to the Mediterranean Sea; the anemia was first reported among children in Mediterranean countries) + -EMIA ]