Main Entry:

cen·tri·ole

Pronunciation:

\ˈsen-trē-ˌōl\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

German Zentriol, from Zentrum center

Date:

circa 1896

: one of a pair of cellular organelles that occur especially in animals, are adjacent to the nucleus, function in the formation of the spindle apparatus during cell division, and consist of a cylinder with nine microtubules arranged peripherally in a circle — see cell illustration