neutrophil

American  

[noo-truh-fil, nyoo-] / ˈnu trə fɪl, ˈnyu- /

Also neutrophile

adjective

1. (of a cell or cell part) having an affinity for neutral dyes.

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noun

1. a phagocytic white blood cell having a lobulate nucleus and neutrophil granules in the cytoplasm.

neutrophil British  

/ ˈnjuːtrəˌfaɪl, ˈnjuːtrəˌfɪl /

noun

1. a leucocyte having a lobed nucleus and a fine granular cytoplasm, which stains with neutral dyes

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adjective

1. (of cells and tissues) readily stainable by neutral dyes

Etymology

Origin of neutrophil

First recorded in 1885–90; neutro- + -phil

Example Sentences

This signal sets off a process known as "emergency granulopoiesis" -- a rapid increase in neutrophil production in the bone marrow -- followed by the movement of these cells into the gut.

From Science Daily • Jan. 25, 2026

For example, a type of immune cell called a neutrophil migrates toward areas in the body that have a higher concentration of a protein called IL-8, which increases during infection.

From Salon • Jan. 10, 2023

For example, when bacteria invade the human body, a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil will remove the invaders by this process.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

It’s the story of the neutrophil, a type of white blood cell that’s like an immune-system soldier.

From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2022

Polynuclear neutrophil leucocytosis—leucocytosis κατ' εξοχην—may be divided into several groups according to their clinical occurrence.

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