a form of thalassemia characterized by severe anemia, growth retardation, etc. and usually resulting in death at an early age: the genes causing this condition are inherited from both parents
See Cooley's anemia in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(ko͞oˈlēz)
noun
A usually fatal form of thalassemia in which normal hemoglobin is absent, characterized by severe anemia, enlargement of the heart, liver, and spleen, and skeletal deformation.