View synonyms for cilia

cilia

[ sil-ee-uh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

plural noun

, singular cil·i·um [sil, -ee-, uh, m].

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.
Anatomy. the eyelashes.

cilia

/ ˈsɪlɪə /

Origin of cilia¹

1705–15; New Latin, plural of cilium eyelash, Latin: upper eyelid, perhaps a back formation from supercilium eyebrow; supercilium

Attorney Cilia Flores, the first lady, is actually called “First Fighter.”

When the quantity is very small there may be no cough, the sputum reaching the larynx by action of the bronchial cilia.

The cilia also send particles of food into a funnel-like opening, the gullet, on one side of the cell.

The locomotion of the paramœcium is caused by the movement of these cilia, which lash the water like a multitude of tiny oars.

Cilia found the suggestion excellent, and began hinting to Soren that he was suffering from sleeplessness and gout.

Cilia pondered over the matter for some time; she had never before known Soren to disregard her injunctions in that fashion.

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