follicle
Americannoun
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Anatomy.
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a small cavity, sac, or gland.
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one of the small ovarian sacs containing an immature ovum; Graafian follicle.
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Botany. a dry seed vessel, or pod, consisting of a single carpel, splitting at maturity only along the front part of the suture.
noun
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any small sac or cavity in the body having an excretory, secretory, or protective function
a hair follicle
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botany a dry fruit, formed from a single carpel, that splits along one side only to release its seeds: occurs in larkspur and columbine
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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.
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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.
Other Word Forms
- follicular adjective
Etymology
Origin of follicle
First recorded in 1640–50, follicle is from the Latin word folliculus small bag, shell, pod. See follis, -cle 1
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.
Kintor Pharmaceutical, a Chinese biotech, is developing a gel designed to destroy the protein that triggers hair loss at the follicle.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
It helps reduce the effects of dihydrotestosterone, a hormone linked to follicle shrinkage, while also protecting hair follicle cells from premature cell death.
From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2026
Judge Hassan al-Shami, one of the officials appointed by Lebanon's government to investigate Sadr's disappearance, says Amal told him the follicle sample had been lost because of a "technical error".
From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025
The present study bringd greater clarity by casting retinoids in a more central role -- at the helm of regulating both hair follicle and epidermal stem cells.
From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024
None of them are up to their usual chatter, so I can hear every strand being yanked from its follicle.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
