basophil

[bey-suh-fil]

noun

Biology. a basophilic cell, tissue, organism, or substance.
Anatomy. a white blood cell having a two-lobed nucleus and basophilic granules in its cytoplasm.

adjective

Biology. basophilic.

Also ba·so·phile

[bey-suh-fahyl, -fil] /ˈbeɪ səˌfaɪl, -fɪl/.

Origin of basophil

First recorded in 1885–90; bas(ic dye) + -o- + -phil

basophilic

[bey-suh-fil-ik]

adjective Biology.

having an affinity for basic stains.

Also ba·soph·i·lous

[bey-sof-uh-luh s] /beɪˈsɒf ə ləs/, basophil, basophile.

Origin of basophilic

First recorded in 1890–95; basophil + -ic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for basophile

Historical Examples of basophile

The basophile granular cells are few—but the granules are large, and stain deeply basophile.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique
John William Henry Eyre
The basophile granules of the "mast" cells are coccal-shaped, of various size—often quite powdery.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique
John William Henry Eyre

British Dictionary definitions for basophile

basophil

basophile

adjective Also: basophilic (ˌbeɪsəˈfɪlɪk)

(of cells or cell contents) easily stained by basic dyes

noun

a basophil cell, esp a leucocyte

Word Origin for basophil

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

basophile in Medicine

basophil

[bā′sə-fĭl]

A cell, especially a white blood cell, having granules that stain readily with basic dyes.