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sickle cell

American  

noun

Pathology.
  • sickle cells
    plural
  1. an abnormal red blood cell having an elongated, crescentlike shape due to the presence of an abnormal hemoglobin.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of sickle cell

First recorded in 1925–30; so called from the fact that the cells are often sickle-shaped


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.

See Examples For:

Gene therapies have already achieved important successes against conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy and sickle cell disease.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

The court heard that the child also had sickle cell disease, which complicated the operation and increased the potential need for a blood transfusion.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Without any products on the market, Fulcrum Therapeutics had been striving to commercialize its experimental drug for sickle cell disease, but those plans appear to now be on hold.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

A model of how one of GluBio’s experimental ‘molecular glue’ drugs causes two proteins in the human body, WIZ and cereblon, to stick to each other in a way designed to relieve sickle cell disease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026

Unexplained vaginal bleeding and blood in urine during last two pregnancies; physician recommended sickle cell test.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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