follicle

noun fol·li·cle \ ˈfä-li-kəl \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of follicle

1 a : a small anatomical cavity or deep narrow-mouthed depression

b : a small lymph node

c : a vesicle in the mammalian ovary that contains a developing egg surrounded by a covering of cells; especially : graafian follicle

2 : a dry dehiscent one-celled many-seeded fruit (as of the milkweed) that has a single carpel and opens along one suture

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follicular

play \fə-ˈli-kyə-lər, fä-\ adjective

See follicle defined for English-language learners

See follicle defined for kids

Recent Examples of follicle from the Web

And being in the presence of one, every follicle of hair on your body will stand on end. * * * Jonny Auping is a freelance writer based in Dallas, Texas.

— jonny auping, Longreads, "Chasing the Man Who Caught the Storm: An Interview With Brantley Hargrove," 11 Apr. 2018
Once the whitehead has been extracted, apply a spot treatment to eradicate any additional infection inside the follicle.

— brooke shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "How to Pop a Pimple in 4 Easy Steps," 13 Mar. 2018
Ringworm directly damages the hair shaft while in a case particular to hedgehogs, mites feed around the base of the spines, causing the follicle opening to widen so that the spines fall out.

— joshua rapp learn, Smithsonian, "Do Other Animals Besides Humans Go Bald?," 16 Feb. 2018
In some parts of the country, couples undergoing IVF have to travel to a top-notch fertility clinic, and stay there for 10 to 12 days for drug treatment to stimulate the production of follicles and eggs.

— julie washington, cleveland.com, "Experts recommend counseling & support for UH patients who lost eggs, embryos," 21 Mar. 2018
Then, similar to skin care, exfoliation is key for healthy hair, says Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist (hair and scalp specialist) in N.Y.C. Use IGK Low Key Scalp Scrub ($36; sephora.com) once a week to create a clean slate for follicles to grow.

— lisa desantis, Health.com, "The 6 Best Vitamins and Serums for Hair, Brow, and Nail Growth," 16 Feb. 2018
Once the whitehead has been manually removed before bed, Renée says to treat the area with an overnight topical product, like her Nighttime Spot Lotion, which contains sulfur, zinc oxide, and camphor, to further remove any infection in the follicle.

— brooke shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "Here's Exactly How to Get Rid of a Zit... Fast," 7 Mar. 2018
Yet, my lab results showed low ovarian reserve, poor egg quality and a single follicle on each ovary (instead of about 10 on each ovary for a fertile women).

— sarah kowalski, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Misleading Promise of IVF for Women Over 40," 21 Feb. 2018
Ketoconazole has been proposed to disrupt the pathway of DHT leading to thinning of follicles.

— faith cummings, Allure, "The Best Shampoos for Thinning Hair, According to Dermatologists," 1 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'follicle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of follicle

New Latin folliculus, from Latin, diminutive of follis bag — more at fool

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1646

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

FOLLICLE Defined for English Language Learners

follicle

noun

Definition of follicle for English Language Learners

: a tiny hole in the skin from which a hair grows

Medical Dictionary

follicle

noun fol·li·cle \ ˈfäl-i-kəl \

medical Definition of follicle

1 : a small anatomical cavity or deep narrow-mouthed depression; especially : a small simple or slightly branched gland : crypt

2 : a small lymph node

3 : a vesicle in the mammalian ovary that contains a developing egg surrounded by a covering of cells : ovarian follicle; especially : graafian follicle

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