monocyte

[ mon-uh-sahyt ]

nounCell Biology.
  1. a large, circulating white blood cell, formed in bone marrow and in the spleen, that ingests large foreign particles and cell debris.

Origin of monocyte

1
First recorded in 1910–15; mono- + -cyte

Other words from monocyte

  • mon·o·cyt·ic [mon-uh-sit-ik], /ˌmɒn əˈsɪt ɪk/, adjective
  • mon·o·cy·toid, adjective

Words Nearby monocyte

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How to use monocyte in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monocyte

monocyte

/ (ˈmɒnəʊˌsaɪt) /


noun
  1. a large phagocytic leucocyte with a spherical nucleus and clear cytoplasm

Derived forms of monocyte

  • monocytic (ˌmɒnəˈsɪtɪk), adjective
  • monocytoid, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for monocyte

monocyte

[ mŏnə-sīt′ ]


  1. Any of various large white blood cells that are formed in the bone marrow, circulate in the blood, and destroy pathogenic bacteria by phagocytosis. Monocytes develop into macrophages in various body tissues.

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