cyst

¹

[sist]

noun

1. Pathology.,  a closed, bladderlike sac formed in animal tissues, containing fluid or semifluid matter.

2. a bladder, sac, or vesicle.

3. Botany, Mycology.

   1. a sporelike cell with a resistant, protective wall.

   2. a cell or cavity enclosing reproductive bodies.

4. Zoology.

   1. a sac, usually spherical, surrounding an animal that has passed into a dormant condition.

   2. such a sac plus the contained animal.

   3. a capsule or resistant covering.

cyst-

²

1. variant of cysto-, before a vowel.

   cystectomy.

-cyst

³

1. variant of cysto-, as final element in a compound word.

   statocyst.

-cyst

¹

combining form

1. indicating a bladder or sac

   otocyst

cyst

²

/ sɪst /

noun

1. pathol any abnormal membranous sac or blisterlike pouch containing fluid or semisolid material

2. anatomy any normal sac or vesicle in the body

3. a thick-walled protective membrane enclosing a cell, larva, or organism

cyst

1. An abnormal membranous sac in the body, containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance.

2. A small, capsulelike form of certain organisms that develops in response to adverse or extreme conditions. Under adverse conditions, for instance, dinoflagellates form nonmotile resting cysts that fall to the ocean or lake bottom and can remain there for years before reviving. Certain invertebrates, such as the water bear (phylum Tardigrada), also develop cysts.

cyst

1. An abnormal saclike structure that develops in the body and is filled with fluid or semisolid material.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyst¹

First recorded in 1705–15; from New Latin cystis, from Greek kýstis “bag, pouch, bladder”; akin to kŷma cyma

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyst¹

from Greek kustis bladder

Origin of cyst²

C18: from New Latin cystis, from Greek kustis pouch, bag, bladder

Example Sentences

Interrupting a runaway process There are several small-molecule drugs that show potential for slowing cyst expansion.

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This limitation is crucial, he added, because the interior of each cyst -- essentially a sealed chamber lined with epithelial cells -- is the location where disease-driving activity occurs.

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"Many of the cyst-lining cells actually make growth factors and they secrete them into the cyst fluid," he explained.

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"In the literature there are dozens of growth factors that have been shown to be active in these cyst fluids," Weimbs said.

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Dr. Andrea Klemes, MDVIP’s chief medical officer, got a full body scan that turned up a “laundry list” of harmless things, like a cyst in her brain.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• blister 
• sac 
• sore 

When To Use

What does cyst- mean?

The combining form cyst- is a combining form used like a suffix meaning “cyst,” which is a scientific term for a bladder, sac, or vesicle. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology and pathology.The form cyst- comes from Greek kýstis, meaning “bag,” “pouch,” or “bladder.”What are variants of cyst-?The form cyst- is a variant of cysto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.A rare variant of cysto- is cysti-, as in cystiform.When used as a suffix, the combining form cyst- becomes -cyst, as in oocyst. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for these forms.

When To Use

What does -cyst mean?

The combining form -cyst is used like a suffix meaning “cyst,” which is a scientific term for a bladder, sac, or vesicle. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology.The form -cyst comes from Greek kýstis, meaning “bag,” “pouch,” or “bladder.”What are variants of -cyst?When used as a prefix, the combining form -cyst variously becomes cyst-, cysti-, or cysto- (as in cystoma). Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for these forms.