white blood cell
Americannoun
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white blood cells
plural
noun
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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.
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Also called leukocyte
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of white blood cell
First recorded in 1885–90
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.
As of Friday, tests showed Jackie was still anemic, and an elevated white blood cell count suggests that she is experiencing inflammation or an infection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
When TL1A activates these cells, they draw large numbers of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, from the bone marrow and alter their behavior in ways that promote tumor formation.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026
Doctors at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York first noticed Schlossberg’s irregular white blood cell count hours after she gave birth to her second child in May 2024, according to the essay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
After the delivery, her doctor became alarmed by her high white blood cell count.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2025
He wasn’t able to go to school for weeks on end when his white blood cell counts were low, so I was basically his sole source of entertainment.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
