This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
vacuole
[ vak-yoo-ohl ]
/ ˈvæk yuˌoʊl /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
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/, adjectiveWords nearby vacuole
vacillatory, vacua, vacuity, vacuolate, vacuolation, vacuole, vacuous, vacuum, vacuum activity, vacuum aspiration, vacuum bottle
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), nounWord 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
[ 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.