contractile vacuole
noun Cell Biology.
a membrane-enveloped cellular organelle, found in many microorganisms, that periodically expands, filling with water, and then contracts, expelling its contents to the cell exterior: thought to be important in maintaining hydrostatic equilibrium.
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Origin of contractile vacuole
First recorded in 1875–80
Words nearby contractile vacuole
contracted, contracted kidney, contracted pelvis, contract furniture, contractile, contractile vacuole, contraction, contraction joint, contractive, contract labor, contract of employment
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020