1. 
[syn: venesection, phlebotomy]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Phlebotomy \Phle*bot"o*my\, n. [L. phlebotomia, Gr. flebotomi`a;
   fle`ps, flebo`s, a vein + te`mnein to cut: cf. F.
   phl['e]botomie. Cf. Fleam.] (Med.)
   The act or practice of opening a vein for letting blood, in
   the treatment of disease; venesection; bloodletting.
   [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
phlebotomy
    n 1: surgical incision into a vein; used to treat
         hemochromatosis [syn: venesection, phlebotomy]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
19 Moby Thesaurus words for "phlebotomy":
   aspiration, bleeding, bloodletting, broaching, cupping, drafting,
   drainage, draining, drawing, emptying, leeching, milking,
   pipetting, pumping, siphoning, sucking, suction, tapping,
   venesection