Dictionary.com

vacuole

[ vak-yoo-ohl ]
/ ˈvæk yuˌoʊl /
Save This Word!

noun Biology.
a membrane-bound cavity within a cell, often containing a watery liquid or secretion.
a minute cavity or vesicle in organic tissue.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of vacuole

From French, dating back to 1850–55; see origin at vacuum, -ole1

OTHER WORDS FROM vacuole

vac·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. 2023

How to use vacuole in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vacuole

vacuole
/ (ˈvækjʊˌəʊl) /

noun
biology a fluid-filled cavity in the cytoplasm of a cell

Derived forms of vacuole

vacuolar, 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

Scientific definitions for vacuole

vacuole
[ văkyōō-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.
FEEDBACK