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vacuole

[ vak-yoo-ohl ]
/ ˈvæk yuˌoʊl /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vacuole ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Biology.

a membrane-bound cavity within a cell, often containing a watery liquid or secretion.
a minute cavity or vesicle in organic tissue.

RELATED WORDS

germ, egg, unit, bacterium, embryo, microorganism, spore, corpuscle, follicle, utricle, cellule

Nearby words

  1. vacua,
  2. vacuity,
  3. vacuolate,
  4. vacuolated,
  5. vacuolation,
  6. vacuous,
  7. vacuously,
  8. vacutome,
  9. vacuum,
  10. vacuum activity

Origin of vacuole

From French, dating back to 1850–55; see origin at vacuum, -ole1
Related formsvac·u·o·lar [vak-yoo-oh-ler, vak-yoo-uh-, vak-yuh-ler] /ˌvæk yuˈoʊ lər, ˈvæk yu ə-, ˈvæk yə lər/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vacuole

British Dictionary definitions for vacuole

vacuole

/ (ˈvækjʊˌəʊl) /

noun

biology a fluid-filled cavity in the cytoplasm of a cell
Derived Formsvacuolar, adjectivevacuolate (ˈvækjʊəlɪt, -ˌleɪt), adjectivevacuolation (ˌvækjʊəˈleɪʃən), noun

Word Origin for vacuole

C19: from French, literally: little vacuum, from Latin vacuum
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 vacuole

vacuole

n.

1853, from French vacuole, from Latin vacuus "empty" (see vacuum).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for vacuole

vacuole

[ văk′yōō-ōl′ ]

n.

A small cavity in the cytoplasm of a cell, bound by a single membrane and containing water, food, or metabolic waste.
A small space or cavity in a tissue.
Related formsvac′u•o′lar (-ō′lər, -lär′) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for vacuole

vacuole

[ văk′yōō-ōl′ ]

A cavity within the cytoplasm of a cell, surrounded by a single membrane and containing fluid, food, or metabolic waste. Vacuoles are found in the cells of plants, protists, and some primitive animals. In mature plant cells, there is usually one large vacuole which occupies a large part of the cell's volume and is filled with a liquid called cell sap. The cell sap stores food reserves, pigments, defensive toxins, and waste products to be expelled or broken down. In the cells of protists, however, there may be many small specialized vacuoles, such as digestive vacuoles for the absorption of captured food and contractile vacuoles for the expulsion of excess water or wastes. See more at cell.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.