definitions

granule

[ gran-yool ]
/ ˈgræn yul /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR granule ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a little grain.
a small particle; pellet.
a corpuscle; sporule.

RELATED WORDS

grime, dirt, soil, powder, soot, earth, lint, sand, cereal, corn, refuse, grit, smut, ashes, filth, ground, loess, granules, cinders, kernel

Nearby words

granulate, granulated sugar, granulatio, granulation, granulation tissue, granule, granule cell, granulite, granulo-, granuloblast, granulocyte

Origin of granule

First recorded in 1645–55, granule is from the Late Latin word grānulum small grain. See grain, -ule

Can be confused

boulder cobblestone granule pebble rock stone
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for granule

British Dictionary definitions for granule

granule

/ (ˈɡrænjuːl) /

noun

a small grain
geology a single rock fragment in gravel, smaller than a pebble but larger than a sand grain
astronomy another name for granulation (def. 5)

Word Origin for granule

C17: from Late Latin grānulum a small grain
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

Medicine definitions for granule

granule

[ grăn′yōōl ]

n.

A small grain or pellet; a particle.
A cellular or cytoplasmic particle, especially one that stains readily.
A very small pill, usually coated with gelatin or sugar.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for granule

granule

[ grăn′yōōl ]

A rock or mineral fragment larger than a sand grain and smaller than a pebble. Granules have a diameter between 2 and 4 mm (0.08 and 0.16 in) and are often rounded.
Any of the small, transient convective cells within the Sun's photosphere where hot gases rise and quickly dissipate. Granules are generally between a few hundred and 1,500 km in width. They completely cover the Sun's surface, giving it its characteristic grainy or stippled look, and form and break up within a matter of minutes.
An aggregate of enclosed grainy matter found in a cell. Granulocytes, mast cells and other cells contain granules in their cytoplasm, which differ in size and can often be identified by a characteristic laboratory stain based on their composition. Granules produce and store biologically active substances, the release of which is called degranulation. The granules of granulocytes contain mostly multiple enzymes and other proteins; those of mast cells contain histamine and other chemical mediators.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.