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vesicle

 - 5 dictionary results

ves⋅i⋅cle

  [ves-i-kuhl]
Use vesicle in a Sentence
–noun
1. a small sac or cyst.
2. Biology. a small bladderlike cavity, esp. one filled with fluid.
3. Pathology. a circumscribed elevation of the epidermis containing serous fluid; blister.
4. Geology. a small, usually spherical cavity in a rock or mineral, formed by expansion of a gas or vapor before the enclosing body solidified.
Origin:
1570–80; < L vēsīcula little bladder. See vesica, -ule
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ves·i·cle   (věs'ĭ-kəl)   
n.  

  1. A small bladderlike cell or cavity.

  2. Anatomy A small sac or cyst, especially one containing fluid.

  3. Pathology A serum-filled blister formed in or beneath the skin.

  4. Geology A small cavity formed in volcanic rock by entrapment of a gas bubble during solidification.


[Middle English, from Old French vesicule, from Latin vēsīcula, diminutive of vēsīca, bladder, blister.]
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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Word Origin & History

vesicle 
1578, from M.Fr. vesicule, from L. vesicula, dim. of vesica "bladder, blister."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ves·i·cle
Pronunciation: 'ves-i-k&l
Function: noun
1 a : a membranous and usually fluid-filled pouch (as a cyst,vacuole, or cell) in a plant or animal b : SYNAPTIC VESICLE
2 : a small abnormalelevation of the outer layer of skin enclosing a watery liquid : BLISTER
3 : a pocket of embryonictissue that is the beginning of an organ —see BRAIN VESICLE, OPTIC VESICLE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

vesicle ves·i·cle (věs'ĭ-kəl)
n.

  1. A small structure resembling a bladder.

  2. A small circumscribed elevation of the skin containing serum.

  3. A small sac or cyst containing liquid or gas.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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