microvillus

American

[mahy-kroh-vil-uhs] / ˌmaɪ kroʊˈvɪl əs /

noun

Cell Biology.

PLURAL

microvilli

any of the small, fingerlike projections of the surface of an epithelial cell.

microvillus British

/ ˌmaɪkrəʊˈvɪləs /

noun

physiol a thin protuberance present in great abundance at the surface of some epithelial cells, notably in the gut, thus increasing the surface area available for absorption

"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

Other Word Forms

microvillar adjective
microvillous adjective

Etymology

Origin of microvillus

First recorded in 1950–55; micro- + villus

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.

A microvillus is a little finger-like cell membrane projection.

From Scientific American

Five days later, however, they could see “baby cells” budding, some of them with the distinctive hair, or microvillus, on top.

From Scientific American

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023