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follicle

[ fol-i-kuhl ]
/ ˈfɒl ɪ kəl /
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noun
Anatomy.
  1. a small cavity, sac, or gland.
  2. one of the small ovarian sacs containing an immature ovum; Graafian follicle.
Botany. a dry seed vessel, or pod, consisting of a single carpel, splitting at maturity only along the front part of the suture.
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Origin of follicle

First recorded in 1640–50, follicle is from the Latin word folliculus small bag, shell, pod. See follis, -cle1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use follicle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for follicle

follicle
/ (ˈfɒlɪkəl) /

noun
any small sac or cavity in the body having an excretory, secretory, or protective functiona hair follicle
botany a dry fruit, formed from a single carpel, that splits along one side only to release its seeds: occurs in larkspur and columbine

Derived forms of follicle

follicular (fɒˈlɪkjʊlə), folliculate (fɒˈlɪkjʊˌleɪt) or folliculated, adjective

Word Origin for follicle

C17: from Latin folliculus small bag, from follis pair of bellows, leather money-bag
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

Scientific definitions for follicle

follicle
[ fŏlĭ-kəl ]

A small, protective sac, gland, or cluster of cells in the body. In mammals, unfertilized eggs develop in follicles located in the ovaries. Hair grows from follicles in the skin.
A dry, dehiscent fruit that develops from a single carpel, has a single chamber, and splits open along only one seam to release its seeds. The pod of the milkweed and the fruit of the magnolia are follicles.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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