cyst
Pathology. a closed, bladderlike sac formed in animal tissues, containing fluid or semifluid matter.
a bladder, sac, or vesicle.
Botany, Mycology.
a sporelike cell with a resistant, protective wall.
a cell or cavity enclosing reproductive bodies.
Zoology.
a sac, usually spherical, surrounding an animal that has passed into a dormant condition.
such a sac plus the contained animal.
a capsule or resistant covering.
Origin of cyst
1Other definitions for cyst- (2 of 3)
variant of cysto-, before a vowel: cystectomy.
Other definitions for -cyst (3 of 3)
variant of cysto-, as final element in a compound word: statocyst.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cyst in a sentence
The presence of these cysts may give rise to considerable speculation at the post-mortem.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry EyreThe cysts are found in various abdominal organs of herbivorous animals, and sometimes infest human beings, especially in Iceland.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia | VariousSessile cysts of this kind are removed by what is known as enucleation.
Cysts often remain for several days unaltered in the gizzard.
Freshwater Sponges, Hydroids & Polyzoa | Nelson AnnandaleThere was no trace here of cysts, or other formal sepulture.
Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2) | Carl Lumholtz
British Dictionary definitions for cyst (1 of 2)
/ (sɪst) /
pathol any abnormal membranous sac or blisterlike pouch containing fluid or semisolid material
anatomy any normal sac or vesicle in the body
a thick-walled protective membrane enclosing a cell, larva, or organism
Origin of cyst
1British Dictionary definitions for -cyst (2 of 2)
indicating a bladder or sac: otocyst
Origin of -cyst
2Collins 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 cyst
[ sĭst ]
An abnormal membranous sac in the body, containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance.
A small, capsulelike form of certain organisms that develops in response to adverse or extreme conditions. Under adverse conditions, for instance, dinoflagellates form nonmotile resting cysts that fall to the ocean or lake bottom and can remain there for years before reviving. Certain invertebrates, such as the water bear (phylum Tardigrada), also develop cysts.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for cyst
[ (sist) ]
An abnormal saclike structure that develops in the body and is filled with fluid or semisolid material.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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