programmed cell death

American

[proh-gramd sel deth] / ˈproʊˌgræmd ˈsɛl ˌdɛθ /

noun

Cell Biology. a process, the most common form of which is apoptosis, triggered by internal or external signals to undergo cell suicide. Abbreviation: PCD.

programmed cell death British

noun

another name for apoptosis

"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

programmed cell death Scientific

/ prō′grămd′ /

See apoptosis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These included genes that reduce the likelihood of programmed cell death and promote continued cell growth.

From Science Daily • Dec. 31, 2025

Among the new approaches being explored is a form of programmed cell death called necroptosis.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2025

Senescent cells resist apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and characteristically get big and flat, with enlarged nuclei.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2022

A granzyme is a protease that digests cellular proteins and induces the target cell to undergo programmed cell death, or apoptosis.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

After the NK cell detects an infected or tumor cell, it induces programmed cell death, or apoptosis.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023