osteocyte

[ os-tee-uh-sahyt ]

noun

, Cell Biology.

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

osteocyte

/ ŏs′tē-ə-sīt′ /

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of osteocyte¹

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