Meanings
plural Rhesus factors · alternative Rh factor
- An antigen of the Rhesus system; understood unless otherwise specified to refer to Rhesus factor D (RhD), which appears on the surface of the red blood cells of most (85%) humans. An incompatibility between the Rh-blood types of a mother and her baby may cause serious disease for the baby.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna blood group antigen possessed by Rh-positive people; if an Rh-negative person receives a blood transfusion from an Rh-positive person it can result in hemolysis and anemia
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
The antigen was discovered in connection with a research of rhesus monkeys.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch resusfactor
- resusfactorRhD-antigen
Finnish reesustekijä, Rh-tekijä
- reesustekijäRhD-antigen
- Rh-tekijäRhD-antigen
German Rhesusfaktor
- RhesusfaktorRhD-antigen
Greek ρέζους
- ρέζους (rézous)RhD-antigen
Polish czynnik Rh
- czynnik RhRhD-antigen
Russian резус-фа́ктор
- резус-фа́ктор (rezus-fáktor)RhD-antigen
Ukrainian резус-фа́ктор
- резус-фа́ктор (rezus-fáktor)RhD-antigen
Cite this entry
Rhesus factor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rhesus%20factor
“Rhesus factor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rhesus%20factor. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Rhesus factor,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rhesus%20factor.
Source: Rhesus factor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.