1. The using up of something, especially the rate at which it is used. 2. Obsolete term for a wasting of the tissues of the body, usually tuberculous. [L. con-sumo, pp. -sumptus, to take up wholly, use up, waste]
- oxygen c. (VO2) 1. (Qo or Qo2), the rate at which oxygen is used by a tissue; units: microliters of oxygen STPD used per milligram of tissue per hour; 2. (Vo2), the rate at which oxygen enters the blood from alveolar gas, equal in the steady state to the c. of oxygen by tissue metabolism throughout the body; units: milliliters of oxygen STPD used per minute or mmol/min.
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1) a progressive wasting away of the body esp. from pulmonary tuberculosis
2) TUBERCULOSIS
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n.
any disease causing wasting of tissues, especially (formerly) pulmonary tuberculosis.
• consumptive adj.
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con·sump·tion (kən-sumpґshən) [L. consumptio a wasting] 1. the act of consuming, or the process of being consumed. 2. a wasting away of the body.Medical dictionary. 2011.