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alcoholemia

blood alcohol level

noun ahl-koh-oh-LEH-myah Rare

Origin: From Arabic al-kuḥl (the powder, later 'alcohol') + Greek haima (blood) + the suffix -ia.

Usage Note

Alcoholemia is the technical term for the concentration of alcohol in the blood, equivalent to 'blood alcohol content' (BAC). It is almost exclusively used in legal and medical contexts (prueba de alcoholemia — breathalyser test). The related adjective alcohólico refers to a person or drink, not to the test.

Examples

"Le hicieron una prueba de alcoholemia en la carretera."

Natural Translation

They gave him a breathalyser test on the road.

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