mononuclear

American  

[mon-uh-noo-klee-er, -nyoo-, -kyuh-ler] / ˌmɒn əˈnu kli ər, -ˈnyu-, -kyə lər /

adjective

1. Cell Biology. Also mononucleate. having only one nucleus.

2. Chemistry. (of hydrocarbons) monocyclic.

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mononuclear British  

/ ˌmɒnəʊˈnjuːklɪə /

adjective

1. (of a cell) having only one nucleus

2. another word for monocyclic

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Pronunciation

See nuclear.

Etymology

Origin of mononuclear

First recorded in 1885–90; mono- + nuclear

Example Sentences

Because the young mononuclear phagocytes did not appear to cross into the brain, researchers believe they may influence brain health indirectly.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

To produce youthful versions, researchers used human induced pluripotent stem cells -- adult cells reprogrammed to an early embryonic-like state -- to generate new, young mononuclear phagocytes.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

The cells, known as mononuclear phagocytes, normally circulate through the body to clear harmful substances.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

"We did not see that decline in mice receiving young mononuclear phagocytes, and we believe this may be responsible for some of the memory improvements that we observed."

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

The percentages rose from 35 to 66% for the lymphocytes only, whilst for the other forms they distinctly fell: for the nucleated from 44% to 22% and for the large mononuclear from 18% to 9%.

From Histology of the Blood Normal and Pathological by Myers, W.