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.
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
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.
What does cyst- mean? The combining form cyst- is a combining form used like a suffix meaning “cyst,” which is a scientific term for a bladder, sac, or vesicle. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology and pathology. The form cyst- comes from Greek kýstis, meaning “bag,” “pouch,” or “bladder.”What are variants of cyst-?The form cyst- is a variant of cysto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. A rare variant of cysto- is cysti-, as in cystiform. When used as a suffix, the combining form cyst- becomes -cyst, as in oocyst. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for these forms.
What does -cyst mean? The combining form -cyst is used like a suffix meaning “cyst,” which is a scientific term for a bladder, sac, or vesicle. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology. The form -cyst comes from Greek kýstis, meaning “bag,” “pouch,” or “bladder.”What are variants of -cyst?When used as a prefix, the combining form -cyst variously becomes cyst-, cysti-, or cysto- (as in cystoma). Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for these forms.
First recorded in 1705–15; from New Latin cystis, from Greek kýstis “bag, pouch, bladder”; akin to kŷma cyma
A cyst is a small growth that forms in the body. That squishy, fluid-filled mass on your calf could be a cyst. The word cyst entered English in the 18th century by way of the Latin word cystis, tracing all the way back to the Greek word kustis, meaning “bladder.” Like your bladder, a cyst is sort of like a small pouch, one that’s typically filled with liquid. Unlike the bladder, however, a cyst is closed, meaning the liquid can’t get out. A cyst is often an abnormal formation in the body, so doctors often remove them.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ueda is anticipated to remain in hospital for treatment of an infected liver cyst for about two weeks but will continue to perform his duties remotely as needed, the BOJ said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
During a recent health crisis, an emergency surgery to remove a cyst, Montoya said she wanted support in the hospital but did not have any options available to her.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Iona Hall, 30, from Bristol, underwent two operations in 2024 to remove a 10cm cyst on her ovary and separate her bowels and uterus, which had fused together.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
My cheeks are crooked because I had something called a pilonidal cyst in my early 20s.
From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026
Agnew and Hamilton knew from their years practicing military surgery that the human body often encases a bullet in a cyst, or sac, making it harmless.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
