platelet

noun

plate·​let ˈplāt-lət How to pronounce platelet (audio)
: a minute flattened body (as of ice or a mineral)
especially : a minute colorless disklike body of mammalian blood that assists in blood clotting by adhering to other platelets and to damaged epithelium

called also blood platelet, thrombocyte

Examples of platelet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Starting next month, D.C. FEMS will be the largest department in the region to carry a product known as whole blood, which is Type O blood that has not been separated into components and contains red blood cells that carry oxygen and platelets that help blood clot. Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 One way of monitoring for both acute and chronic radiation exposure is to look for drops in the blood cells produced by the bone marrow – white cells, red cells, and platelets. Monica Lopez, Scientific American, 27 July 2023 Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy can have low red blood cell and platelet counts. Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 On an average day in the United States, 29,000 units of red blood cells, 5,000 units of platelets and 6,500 units of plasma are needed, the Red Cross said. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 10 Jan. 2024 Blood Clotting Prevention Aspirin also inhibits the formation of platelets in the blood, so many people at risk for heart disease take daily low-dose aspirin to help prevent blood clots. Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 31 Oct. 2023 First-line immune defenders, like neutrophils, need to be replaced after just four to eight hours, platelets can last a week, red blood cells up to four months, and some white blood cells, like memory B cells, live for decades. Megan Molteni, STAT, 22 Jan. 2024 Red blood cells expire after 42 days, with platelets needing to be discarded if they aren’t used after five days. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 10 Jan. 2024 Vampire facials are a popular cosmetic medical procedure in which a person's own blood is spun in a centrifuge to separate proteins and platelets, and the resulting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is re-injected into the face via microneedles or micro-abrasions. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 10 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'platelet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of platelet was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near platelet

Cite this Entry

“Platelet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platelet. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

platelet

noun
plate·​let ˈplāt-lət How to pronounce platelet (audio)
: one of the tiny colorless disk-shaped bodies of the blood of mammals that assist in blood clotting

Medical Definition

platelet

noun
plate·​let ˈplāt-lət How to pronounce platelet (audio)
: a minute colorless anucleate disklike body of mammalian blood that is derived from fragments of megakaryocyte cytoplasm, that is released from the bone marrow into the blood, and that assists in blood clotting by adhering to other platelets and to damaged epithelium

called also blood platelet, thrombocyte

More from Merriam-Webster on platelet

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