Pathology. a closed, bladderlike sac formed in animal tissues, containing fluid or semifluid matter.
a bladder, sac, or vesicle.
Botany, Mycology.
a sporelike cell with a resistant, protective wall.
a cell or cavity enclosing reproductive bodies.
Zoology.
a sac, usually spherical, surrounding an animal that has passed into a dormant condition.
such a sac plus the contained animal.
a capsule or resistant covering.
pathol any abnormal membranous sac or blisterlike pouch containing fluid or semisolid material
anatomy any normal sac or vesicle in the body
a thick-walled protective membrane enclosing a cell, larva, or organism
An abnormal membranous sac in the body, containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance.
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.
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.
First recorded in 1705–15; from New Latin cystis, from Greek kýstis “bag, pouch, bladder”; akin to kŷma cyma
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It totally blindsided me - I had a tumour the size of a tangerine which had a cyst attached to it," Kirsty said.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
During one set of experiments, researchers tested compounds that they expected would worsen the disease by increasing cellular activity linked to cyst growth.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
Ueda is anticipated to remain in hospital for treatment of an infected liver cyst for about two weeks but will continue to perform his duties remotely as needed, the BOJ said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
During a recent health crisis, an emergency surgery to remove a cyst, Montoya said she wanted support in the hospital but did not have any options available to her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
I had to have an egg-size cyst removed from my back, which was a relief because Will had started calling me “Humpback.”
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
The medications that cause ovarian suppression and have effectively relieved menstrual pain and helped millions of women to manage endometriosis, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, and ovarian cysts?
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
The change reflects a broader scientific understanding of the condition as a multisystem disorder that affects metabolic, hormonal, reproductive and mental health — not simply a condition defined by ovarian cysts.
From Salon ● May 16, 2026
None of that mattered when she missed her performance target in 2018 after taking time off for surgery to remove two large cysts on her ovaries.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2026
The cysts required an immediate operation and a period of recovery.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2026
The head nurse at Hanawon for the past decade, Chun Jung-hee, told me that a high percentage of women from the North have chronic gynecological infections and cysts.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
