cyst
1 Americannoun
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Pathology. a closed, bladderlike sac formed in animal tissues, containing fluid or semifluid matter.
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a bladder, sac, or vesicle.
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Botany, Mycology.
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a sporelike cell with a resistant, protective wall.
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a cell or cavity enclosing reproductive bodies.
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Zoology.
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a sac, usually spherical, surrounding an animal that has passed into a dormant condition.
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such a sac plus the contained animal.
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a capsule or resistant covering.
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combining form
noun
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pathol any abnormal membranous sac or blisterlike pouch containing fluid or semisolid material
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anatomy any normal sac or vesicle in the body
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a thick-walled protective membrane enclosing a cell, larva, or organism
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An abnormal membranous sac in the body, containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance.
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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.
Usage
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.
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.
Etymology
Origin of cyst
First recorded in 1705–15; from New Latin cystis, from Greek kýstis “bag, pouch, bladder”; akin to kŷma cyma
Explanation
A cyst is a small growth that forms in the body. That squishy, fluid-filled mass on your calf could be a cyst. The word cyst entered English in the 18th century by way of the Latin word cystis, tracing all the way back to the Greek word kustis, meaning “bladder.” Like your bladder, a cyst is sort of like a small pouch, one that’s typically filled with liquid. Unlike the bladder, however, a cyst is closed, meaning the liquid can’t get out. A cyst is often an abnormal formation in the body, so doctors often remove them.
Vocabulary lists containing cyst
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cyst of Ovary showing Teeth in its interior.
From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Thomson, Alexis
Congenital Branchial Cyst in a Woman 584 269.
From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander
Cyst beginning to form, outside of separation; pus between cyst and lump, but in a very small quantity.
From Cattle and Their Diseases Embracing Their History and Breeds, Crossing and Breeding, And Feeding and Management; With the Diseases to which They are Subject, And The Remedies Best Adapted to their Cure by Jennings, Robert
Cyst of Left Lobe of Thyreoid 612 282.
From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander
Cyst, sist, n. a bag in animal bodies containing morbid matter.—adjs.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.