megakaryocyte

noun

mega·​kar·​yo·​cyte ˌme-gə-ˈka-rē-ō-ˌsīt How to pronounce megakaryocyte (audio)
ˌme-gə-ˈker-ē-ō-ˌsīt
: a large cell that has a lobulated nucleus, is found especially in the bone marrow, and is the source of blood platelets
megakaryocytic
ˌme-gə-ˌka-rē-ō-ˈsi-tik How to pronounce megakaryocyte (audio)
ˌme-gə-ˌker-ē-ō-ˈsi-
adjective

Examples of megakaryocyte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To try to better understand this previously unknown effect of aspirin, cardiologist Deepak Voora of Duke University and his colleagues looked at cells called megakaryocytes, which give rise to platelets. Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 1 May 2017 The end result of all this genetic manipulation: the platelets produced by the megakaryocytes did not clump together, which presumably prevented them from camouflaging cancer cells. Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 1 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of megakaryocyte was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near megakaryocyte

Cite this Entry

“Megakaryocyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megakaryocyte. Accessed 14 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

megakaryocyte

noun
mega·​kary·​o·​cyte ˌmeg-ə-ˈkar-ē-ō-ˌsīt How to pronounce megakaryocyte (audio)
: a large cell that has a lobulated nucleus, is found especially in the bone marrow, and is the source of blood platelets
megakaryocytic adjective

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