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acellular

American  
[ay-sel-yuh-ler] / eɪˈsɛl jə lər /

adjective

  1. being without cells.

  2. composed of tissue not divided into separate cells, as striated muscle fibers.


acellular British  
/ eɪˈsɛljʊlə /

adjective

  1. biology not made up of or containing cells

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

acellular Scientific  
/ ā-sĕl′yə-lər /
  1. Devoid of cells. The hyphae of some fungi are acellular.


Etymology

Origin of acellular

First recorded in 1935–40; a- 6 + cellular


Vocabulary lists containing acellular

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The team concluded that protection waned 27% per year after children's fifth dose of the acellular vaccine, which is given between ages 4 and 6.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 18, 2019

That is far lower than the 87 percent vaccination rates for the Tdap vaccine, which prevents tetanus, diptheria and acellular pertussis.

From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2017

Viruses are acellular, parasitic entities that are not classified within any domain because they are not considered alive.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013

So the uptick strongly suggested that the acellular vaccine’s effects were wearing off year-by-year as the kids got older—long before anyone had anticipated.

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2012

By contrast, the so-called acellular slime molds do not form slugs.

From New York Times ● Oct. 3, 2011

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