astrocyte

American

[as-truh-sahyt] / ˈæs trəˌsaɪt /

noun

Cell Biology.

a star-shaped neuroglial cell of ectodermal origin.

astrocyte British

/ ˈæstrəʊˌsaɪt /

noun

any of the star-shaped cells in the tissue supporting the brain and spinal cord (neuroglia)

"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

astrocyte Scientific

/ ăs′trə-sīt′ /

A star-shaped cell, especially one of the glial cells that support the tissue of the central nervous system.

Other Word Forms

astrocytic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of astrocyte

First recorded in 1895–1900; astro- + -cyte

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.

Increasing Sox9 produced the opposite outcome, enhancing astrocyte activity, improving their structural complexity and promoting plaque removal.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2026

When astrocyte signaling was disrupted, neurons struggled to form the normal activity patterns linked to fear.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

"If we remove astrocyte CCN1, the microglia eat, but they don't digest. They call in more microglia, which also eat but don't digest," Burda said.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2026

The researchers noticed that such a stimulation induced a robust increase in the astrocyte calcium, which was followed by an epileptic neuronal hyperactivity episode.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2024

Windham and Cohen hypothesize that the altered composition of the lipid droplets could be causing astrocyte dysfunction and affecting the microglia's ability to clear amyloid beta.

From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023