white blood cell

See synonyms for: white blood cellwhite blood cells on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. any of various nearly colorless cells of the immune system that circulate mainly in the blood and lymph and participate in reactions to invading microorganisms or foreign particles, comprising the B cells, T cells, macrophages, monocytes, and granulocytes.

Origin of white blood cell

1
First recorded in 1885–90

Words Nearby white blood cell

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use white blood cell in a sentence

  • There is one white blood cell to every four hundred red ones.

    Health Lessons | Alvin Davison

British Dictionary definitions for white blood cell

white blood cell

noun
  1. a nontechnical name for leucocyte

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 white blood cell

white blood cell

[ wīt ]


  1. Any of various white or colorless cells in the blood of vertebrate animals, many of which participate in the inflammatory and immune responses to protect the body against infection and to repair injuries to tissues. White blood cells are formed mainly in the bone marrow, and unlike red blood cells, have a cell nucleus. The major types of white blood cells are granulocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes. White blood cells are far less numerous in the blood than red blood cells, but their amount usually increases in response to infection and can be monitored as part of a clinical assessment. Also called leukocyte

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.