osteocyte

[ os-tee-uh-sahyt ]

/ ˈɒs ti əˌsaɪt /

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noun Cell Biology.

a cell of osseous tissue within the bone matrix; a bone cell.

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Origin of osteocyte

First recorded in 1940–45; osteo- + -cyte

Words nearby osteocyte

osteochondritis, osteochondrosis, osteoclasis, osteoclast, osteocope, osteocyte, osteofibrosis, osteogenesis, osteogenesis imperfecta, osteogenic, osteoid

Scientific definitions for osteocyte

osteocyte

[ ŏs′tē-ə-sīt′ ]

A cell characteristic of mature bone tissue. It is derived from osteoblasts and embedded in the calcified matrix of bone. Osteocytes are found in small, round cavities called lacunae and have thin, cytoplasmic branches.