Dictionary.com

osteoclast

[ os-tee-uh-klast ]
/ ˈɒs ti əˌklæst /

noun

Cell Biology. one of the large multinuclear cells in growing bone concerned with the absorption of osseous tissue, as in the formation of canals.
Surgery. an instrument for effecting osteoclasis.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
piranha
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of osteoclast

1870–75; osteo- + -clast<Greek klastós broken

OTHER WORDS FROM osteoclast

os·te·o·clas·tic, adjective

Words nearby osteoclast

osteochondroma, osteochondromatosis, osteochondrosarcoma, osteochondrosis, osteoclasis, osteoclast, osteoclast-activating factor, osteoclastoma, osteocope, osteocranium, osteocystoma
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

British Dictionary definitions for osteoclast

osteoclast
/ (ˈɒstɪəʊˌklæst) /

noun

a surgical instrument for fracturing bone
a large multinuclear cell formed in bone marrow that is associated with the normal absorption of bone

Derived forms of osteoclast

osteoclastic, adjective
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

Medical definitions for osteoclast

osteoclast
[ ŏs′tē-ə-klăst′ ]

n.

A large multinucleate cell found in growing bone that resorbs bony tissue, as in the formation of canals and cavities.osteophage
An instrument used in surgical osteoclasis.

Other words from osteoclast

os′te•o•clas′tic adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for osteoclast

osteoclast
[ ŏs′tē-ə-klăst′ ]

A specialized bone cell that absorbs bone, allowing for the deposition of new bone and maintenance of bone strength. Osteoclasts secrete enyzmes that dissolve the matrix of old bone tissue and acids that dissolve bone salts, which contain calcium and phosphorus. Except in growing bone, the rate of bone deposition and bone absorption equal each other so that bone mass remains constant. A mass of osteoclasts absorbs bone from the outer surfaces inward for about three weeks. The osteoclasts are then converted into osteoblasts that form new bone to fill in the cavities. See also osteoblast.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.