corpuscle

[ kawr-puh-suh l, -puhs-uh l ]
/ ˈkɔr pə səl, -pʌs əl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR corpuscle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Biology. an unattached cell, especially of a kind that floats freely, as a blood or lymph cell.
Anatomy. a small mass or body forming a more or less distinct part, as the sensory receptors at nerve terminals.
Physical Chemistry. a minute or elementary particle of matter, as an electron, proton, or atom.
any minute particle.

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Also cor·pus·cule [kawr-puhs-kyool] /kɔrˈpʌs kyul/.

Origin of corpuscle

1650–60; < Latin corpusculum, equivalent to corpus body + -culum -cle1

OTHER WORDS FROM corpuscle

cor·pus·cu·lar [kawr-puhs-kyuh-ler] /kɔrˈpʌs kyə lər/, cor·pus·cu·lat·ed [kawr-puhs-kyuh-ley-tid] /kɔrˈpʌs kyəˌleɪ tɪd/, cor·pus·cu·lous, adjectivecor·pus·cu·lar·i·ty [kawr-puhs-kyuh-lar-i-tee] /kɔrˌpʌs kyəˈlær ɪ ti/, nounin·ter·cor·pus·cu·lar, adjectivenon·cor·pus·cu·lar, adjective

Words nearby corpuscle

corpus luteum, corpus luteum hormone, corpus spongiosum, corpus striatum, corpus vile, corpuscle, corpuscular lymph, corpuscular radiation, corpuscular theory, corpusculum, corr.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to corpuscle

germ, egg, unit, bacterium, beef, muscle, meat, fat, embryo, microorganism, spore, vacuole, follicle, utricle, weight, brawn, food, fatness, corpuscles, cells

Example sentences from the Web for corpuscle

British Dictionary definitions for corpuscle

corpuscle
/ (ˈkɔːpʌsəl) /

noun

any cell or similar minute body that is suspended in a fluid, esp any of the red blood corpuscles (erythrocytes) or white blood corpuscles (see leucocytes)See also erythrocyte, leucocyte
anatomy the encapsulated ending of a sensory nerve
physics a discrete particle such as an electron, photon, ion, or atom
Also called: corpuscule (kɔːˈpʌskjuːl) any minute particle

Derived forms of corpuscle

corpuscular (kɔːˈpʌskjʊlə), adjective

Word Origin for corpuscle

C17: from Latin corpusculum a little body, from corpus body
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

Medical definitions for corpuscle

corpuscle
[ kôr′pə-səl, -pŭs′əl ]

n.

An unattached body cell, such as a blood or lymph cell.
A rounded, globular mass of cells, such as the pressure receptor on certain nerve endings.

Other words from corpuscle

cor•pus′cu•lar (kôr-pŭs′kyə-lər) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for corpuscle

corpuscle
[ kôr′pə-səl ]

Any of various cellular or small multicellular structures in the body, especially a red or white blood cell.
See particle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.