stem cell

noun

: an unspecialized cell that gives rise to differentiated cells

hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow

Examples of stem cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Generation and function Organoids are generated using stem cells, which have the capacity to differentiate into specialized cell types. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2026

Ingredients like apple stem cells help support the hair’s natural growth cycle, and its amino acid complex strengthens hair fibers. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 5 Nov. 2026

He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010, and received a stem cell transplant the following year in 2011. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2026

Menstrual fluid, and the stem cells floating around it, have more than just diagnostic potential. — Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stem cell

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

stem cell

noun

: a simple cell that can become a cell (as a blood cell or skin cell) with a special function

Medical Definition

stem cell

noun

ˈstem- 

: an unspecialized cell capable of perpetuating itself through cell division and having the potential to give rise to differentiated cells with specialized functions

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst stage of the embryo.

—Carrie J. Merkle, in Essentials of Pathophysiology

… picture the bone marrow as a blood cell factory that takes a single type of precursor cell, or stem cell, and modifies it in various ways to produce all the cells that circulate in the blood.

—Gina Kolata, Discover

Recent observations are providing increasing evidence for the concept that adult stem cells are part of a natural system for tissue repair.

—Darwin J. Prockop, in Essentials of Stem Cell Biology