monocyte

American  

[mon-uh-sahyt] / ˈmɒn əˌsaɪt /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a large, circulating white blood cell, formed in bone marrow and in the spleen, that ingests large foreign particles and cell debris.

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monocyte British  

/ ˌmɒnəˈsɪtɪk, ˈmɒnəʊˌsaɪt /

noun

1. a large phagocytic leucocyte with a spherical nucleus and clear cytoplasm

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monocyte Scientific  

/ mŏn′ə-sīt′ /

1. Any of various large white blood cells that are formed in the bone marrow, circulate in the blood, and destroy pathogenic bacteria by phagocytosis. Monocytes develop into macrophages in various body tissues.

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Other Word Forms

• monocytic
  adjective
• monocytoid
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of monocyte

First recorded in 1910–15; mono- + -cyte

Example Sentences

One assessed aging across multiple cell types and tissues, while the other focused specifically on monocytes, a type of white blood cell involved in immune responses.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

Higher levels of IPA change this process, altering myelopoiesis and lowering the production of immunosuppressive monocytes.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

Their findings showed that fructose intake, unlike glucose, led to higher concentrations of Toll-like receptor 2 in monocytes.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

Zarif and his colleagues previously demonstrated that macrophage precursor cells called monocytes will develop into immune-activating macrophages if they are grown in a laboratory setting without glutamine.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

The differential showed a virtual absence of polymorphs, lymphocytes and monocytes.

From Pandemic by Bone, Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin)