definitions

osteocyte

[ os-tee-uh-sahyt ]
/ ˈɒs ti əˌsaɪt /

noun Cell Biology.

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

Nearby words

osteoclast-activating factor, osteoclastoma, osteocope, osteocranium, osteocystoma, osteocyte, osteodentin, osteodermatopoikilosis, osteodermia, osteodiastasis, osteodynia

Origin of osteocyte

First recorded in 1940–45; osteo- + -cyte
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Medicine definitions for osteocyte

osteocyte

[ ŏs′tē-ə-sīt′ ]

n.

A branched cell embedded in the matrix of bone tissue.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.