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cilia - 7 dictionary results

cil⋅i⋅a

  [sil-ee-uh]
Use cilia in a Sentence
–plural noun, singular cil⋅i⋅um  [sil-ee-uhm] .
1. Biology. minute hairlike organelles, identical in structure to flagella, that line the surfaces of certain cells and beat in rhythmic waves, providing locomotion to ciliate protozoans and moving liquids along internal epithelial tissue in animals.
2. Anatomy. the eyelashes.
Origin:
1705–15; NL, pl. of cilium eyelash, L: upper eyelid, perh. a back formation from supercilium eyebrow; see supercilium

cil⋅i⋅um

  [sil-ee-uhm]
–noun
sing. of cilia.
Origin:
< L
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To cilia
cil·i·a   (sĭl'ē-ə)   
n.  Plural of cilium.
cil·i·um   (sĭl'ē-əm)   
n.   pl. cil·i·a (-ē-ə)
  1. A microscopic hairlike process extending from the surface of a cell or unicellular organism. Capable of rhythmical motion, it acts in unison with other such structures to bring about the movement of the cell or of the surrounding medium.
  2. An eyelash.
  3. Botany One of the hairs along the margin or edge of a structure, such as a leaf, usually forming a fringe.

[Latin, eyelid; see kel-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cilia

Cil"i*a\, n. pl. Cilium, the sing., is rarely used. [L. cilium eyelid.]

1. (Anat.) The eyelashes.

2. (Biol.) Small, generally microscopic, vibrating appendages lining certain organs, as the air passages of the higher animals, and in the lower animals often covering also the whole or a part of the exterior. They are also found on some vegetable organisms. In the Infusoria, and many larval forms, they are locomotive organs.

3. (Bot.) Hairlike processes, commonly marginal and forming a fringe like the eyelash.

4. (Zo["o]l.) Small, vibratory, swimming organs, somewhat resembling true cilia, as those of Ctenophora.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Main Entry: cilia
plural of CILIUM
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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cilium   (sĭl'ē-əm)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural cilia
A tiny hairlike projection on the surface of some cells and microscopic organisms, especially protozoans. Cilia are capable of whipping motions and are used by some microorganisms, such as paramecia, for movement. Cilia lining the human respiratory tract act to remove foreign matter from air before it reaches the lungs.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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