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acellular

American  
[ey-sel-yuh-ler] / eɪˈsɛl yə 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

Microbiology - High School

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Microbiology - Middle School

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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.

Nationally, vaccination coverage fell slightly below 94 percent for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine; and for the varicella vaccine, the C.D.C. said.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2022

So an acellular vaccine, containing an inactivated version of the pertussis toxin that causes the disease as well as pieces of B. pertussis, replaced it.

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

Early clinical trials suggested that this newer, acellular vaccine was also highly effective.

From Slate • Sep. 5, 2012

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.