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.

See Examples For:

astrocyte

Lower Sox9 levels led to faster plaque buildup, simpler astrocyte structure and reduced ability to clear amyloid deposits.

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

His team is also studying how astrocyte CCN1 may influence inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases and aging.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 13, 2026

When the team increased the amount of Sox9, a protein that influences many astrocyte functions during aging, the cells became more effective at removing amyloid deposits.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 23, 2025

When the team administered the S3QEL compound to mice engineered to model frontotemporal dementia, they observed reduced astrocyte activation, lower levels of inflammatory gene expression, and a decrease in a tau modification linked to dementia.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2025

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