anticoagulant

1. (medicine) A substance that prevents coagulation (stops blood from clotting); especially, any of a group of pharmaceutical drugs that reduce the clotting speed or affinity of the blood by any of several mechanisms (e.g., inhibiting platelet function, inhibiting clotting factor (protein) production or function, increasing antithrombin function).Examples: "In the case of pathological hypercoagulative conditions such as thrombosis and embolism, 4-hydroxycoumarin based oral anticoagulants, including warfarin as a well-known example, are administered to block the enzymatic function of VKORC1, effectively diminishing turnover of the vitamin K cycle."Synonyms: blood thinnerAntonyms: coagulant#Noun, ;, styptic#Noun