definitions

platelet

[ pleyt-lit ]
/ ˈpleɪt lɪt /
|

noun Cell Biology.

a small platelike body, especially a blood platelet.

Nearby words

plateau's problem, plated, plateful, plateholder, platelayer, platelet, platelet aggregation test, platelet factor 3, platelet tissue factor, platelet-aggregating factor, platelet-derived growth factor

Origin of platelet

First recorded in 1890–95; plate1 + -let
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for platelets

British Dictionary definitions for platelets

platelet

/ (ˈpleɪtlɪt) /

noun

a minute cell occurring in the blood of vertebrates and involved in clotting of the bloodFormerly called: thrombocyte

Word Origin for platelet

C19: a small plate
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

Word Origin and History for platelets

platelet

n.

1895, formed in English from plate + diminutive suffix -let.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for platelets

platelet

[ plāt′lĭt ]

n.

A minute, irregularly shaped, disklike cytoplasmic body found in blood plasma that promotes blood clotting and has no definite nucleus, no DNA, and no hemoglobin.blood platelet thrombocyte
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for platelets

platelet

[ plāt′lĭt ]

Any of the numerous small, round cell fragments found in the blood of mammals that function in the clotting of blood. Platelets contain no nuclei and are formed in the bone marrow from precursor cells called megakaryocytes. Platelets contribute to the coagulation process by adhering to damaged blood vessels, fibrinogen, and other platelets. An inadequate number of platelets leads to uncontrolled bleeding.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for platelets

platelets

[ (playt-luhts) ]

Small, flat disks in the blood that aid in clotting.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.