Main Entry:

cyst

Pronunciation:

\ˈsist\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

New Latin cystis, from Greek kystis bladder, pouch; akin to Sanskrit śvasiti he blows, snorts — more at wheeze

Date:

circa 1720

1: a closed sac having a distinct membrane and developing abnormally in a cavity or structure of the body2: a body resembling a cyst: as a: a resting spore of many algae b: a gas-filled vesicle (as of a rockweed or bladderwort) c: a capsule formed about a minute organism going into a resting or spore stage ; also : this capsule with its contents d: a resistant cover about a parasite produced by the parasite or the host