Rhesus system

Meaning

Proper Noun

• A blood group system, the second most important after the ABO system, and important in human blood transfusion, whereby blood types are classified according to the presence ("positive") or absence ("negative") of potentially over 50 antigens, of which the most commonly referenced is RhD.

Origin

• So named because the first identified antigen (RhD) was originally believed to be the same as one discovered in rhesus macaques.