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basophil

[bey-suh-fil]
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noun
  1. Biology. a basophilic cell, tissue, organism, or substance.
  2. Anatomy. a white blood cell having a two-lobed nucleus and basophilic granules in its cytoplasm.
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adjective
  1. Biology. basophilic.
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Also ba·so·phile [bey-suh-fahyl, -fil] /ˈbeɪ səˌfaɪl, -fɪl/.

Origin of basophil

First recorded in 1885–90; bas(ic dye) + -o- + -phil
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for basophil

Historical Examples

  • He distinguishes hyaline, acidophil and basophil cells, and derives all from the lymphocytes.

    Histology of the Blood

    Paul Ehrlich

  • In the young granules there is prominent a basophil portion that becomes less and less marked as the cell grows older.

British Dictionary definitions for basophil

basophil

basophile

adjective Also: basophilic (ˌbeɪsəˈfɪlɪk)
  1. (of cells or cell contents) easily stained by basic dyes
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noun
  1. a basophil cell, esp a leucocyte
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Word Origin

C19: from Greek; see base 1 + -phile
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
basophil in Medicine

basophil

(bā′sə-fĭl)
n.
  1. A cell, especially a white blood cell, having granules that stain readily with basic dyes.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.