osteocyte

[os-tee-uh-sahyt]

noun Cell Biology.

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

Origin of osteocyte

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

osteocyte in Medicine

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.

osteocyte in Science

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.