Synonyms

white blood cells

Cultural

Colorless cells in the blood that help combat infection. Some white blood cells act as scavengers by engulfing foreign particles (such as bacteria) and destroying them. Others produce antibodies or destroy dead cells. (See AIDS.)

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.

In this case, the virus has been modified to replicate only inside tumor cells, causing them to burst, while simultaneously triggering a more aggressive immune response from the body’s own white blood cells.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

When you get injured, your immune system sends certain white blood cells to calm pain-sensing neurons and inflammation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

It works by preventing white blood cells from attacking foreign material in the body.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

The treatment involves precisely editing the DNA in white blood cells to transform them into a cancer-fighting "living drug".

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025

Because his white blood cells can identify and destroy the infected cells, this man doesn’t get sick.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023