platelet

noun

plate·​let ˈplāt-lət 

: 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

Treatment wiped out the cancer, but Lucy's weakened body had another ailment, one that stopped her from making stem cells, blood or platelets. — Siafa Lewis, CBS News, 17 June 2026

The drug is designed to rapidly block platelets from clumping and restricting blood flow, lessening the adverse outcomes of a heart attack. — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 4 June 2026

His platelet count had been only 2,000, according to a GoFundMe. — Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026

Bone marrow produces red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body; white blood cells, which help fight infection; and platelets, which are essential for blood clotting. — Priya Bhardwaj, The Conversation, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing platelet

• blood platelet

Rhymes for platelet

• antiplatelet

Kids Definition

platelet

noun

plate·​let ˈplāt-lət 

: 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 

: 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