follicle

noun

fol·li·cle | \ ˈfä-li-kəl

Definition of follicle

1a : 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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Examples of follicle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Insulin resistance may also affect how the pituitary gland regulates your levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), both of which prepare those ovarian follicles for maturation. — Mary Claire Lagroue, SELF, "Can Diet and Exercise Actually Improve PCOS Symptoms?," 23 Apr. 2019 Estradiol blood test Secreted by maturing follicles, estradiol is a form of estrogen, the major female reproductive hormone. — Jennifer Gerson, Marie Claire, "What Kind of Testing Will My Fertility Specialist Conduct?," 1 Oct. 2018 Normally, an egg is released from a little sac on your ovary called a follicle. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Kate Beckinsale Reveals She Went to the Hospital for a Ruptured Ovarian Cyst," 28 Jan. 2019 This is followed by seven to 12 days of hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries and facilitate the development of multiple follicles (a.k.a. — Jennifer Gerson, Marie Claire, "Health & Fitness," 1 Oct. 2018 Your hair grows out of little pockets in your skin called follicles. — Korin Miller, SELF, "How to Tell If That Bump on Your Bikini Line Is an Ingrown Hair," 7 Jan. 2019 Monitoring typically involves a blood test and a transvaginal ultrasound to see how follicles are progressing, but fertility medications are not used for natural cycle treatments. — Jennifer Gerson, Marie Claire, "Health & Fitness," 1 Oct. 2018 The advantage this route has over electrolysis is treating a larger portion at a time, while electrolysis (elaborated on below) is individually ablating one follicle at a time — think waxing versus plucking. — Sam Escobar, Good Housekeeping, "8 Gentle and Effective Ways to Remove Facial Hair," 17 Aug. 2018 Once the egg is released, the empty follicle shrinks to form what's called a corpus luteum, which is supposed to make hormones to get ready for the next egg. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Kate Beckinsale Reveals She Went to the Hospital for a Ruptured Ovarian Cyst," 28 Jan. 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near follicle

follicle-stimulating hormone

follicular hormone

Statistics for follicle

Last Updated

27 May 2019

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Time Traveler for follicle

The first known use of follicle was in 1646

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More Definitions for follicle

follicle

noun

English Language Learners Definition of follicle

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

See the full definition for follicle in the English Language Learners 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