follicle

[fol-i-kuhl]

noun

1. Anatomy.

   1. a small cavity, sac, or gland.

   2. one of the small ovarian sacs containing an immature ovum; Graafian follicle.

2. Botany.,  a dry seed vessel, or pod, consisting of a single carpel, splitting at maturity only along the front part of the suture.

follicle

/ fɒˈlɪkjʊˌleɪt, ˈfɒlɪkəl, fɒˈlɪkjʊlə /

noun

1. any small sac or cavity in the body having an excretory, secretory, or protective function

   a hair follicle

2. botany a dry fruit, formed from a single carpel, that splits along one side only to release its seeds: occurs in larkspur and columbine

follicle

1. A small, protective sac, gland, or cluster of cells in the body. In mammals, unfertilized eggs develop in follicles located in the ovaries. Hair grows from follicles in the skin.

2. A dry, dehiscent fruit that develops from a single carpel, has a single chamber, and splits open along only one seam to release its seeds. The pod of the milkweed and the fruit of the magnolia are follicles.

Other Word Forms

• follicular adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of follicle¹

First recorded in 1640–50, follicle is from the Latin word folliculus small bag, shell, pod. See follis, -cle ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of follicle¹

C17: from Latin folliculus small bag, from follis pair of bellows, leather money-bag

Example Sentences

He had also managed to pull out some hair follicles, with a view to them being used in a DNA test.

From BBC

Just over a month later, it had all gone and Fisher was diagnosed with alopecia, an auto-immune condition that destroys the hair follicles.

From BBC

What the teams found was that in the cells responsible for giving a cat its skin, hair follicles and eyes their colour - melanocytes - one gene, ARHGAP36, was much more active.

From BBC

Individual hair follicles were punched in by artists using a tiny needle.

From Los Angeles Times

Alopecia is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking hair follicles at the root of the hair, causing it to fall out.

From BBC

Related Words

• hair 
• lode 
• nerve 
• seam 
• stripe