neutrophil

1 of 2

adjective

neu·​tro·​phil ˈnü-trə-ˌfil How to pronounce neutrophil (audio)
ˈnyü-
variants or neutrophilic
: staining to the same degree with acid or basic dyes
neutrophil granulocytes

neutrophil

2 of 2

noun

: a granulocyte that is the chief phagocytic white blood cell of the blood

Examples of neutrophil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
First-line immune defenders, like neutrophils, need to be replaced after just four to eight hours, platelets can last a week, red blood cells up to four months, and some white blood cells, like memory B cells, live for decades. Megan Molteni, STAT, 22 Jan. 2024 These will interfere with its ability to attach to a host cell, or single out the microbe for ingestion by cells called neutrophils. WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023 The initial response is from neutrophils, a type of white blood cell (think pus) that rushes in to fight infection. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 17 Aug. 2023 Meanwhile, neutrophils ramp up inflammation, release toxins, and as a last resort, produce antibiotic-laden traps called NETs—neutrophil extracellular traps—by cellular suicide; the NETs are made using the neutrophil's own DNA. Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2016 Working with mice bred to lack this protein, Gibbins and his colleagues determined that platelets with less HSP47 were less likely to attract and bind to infection-fighting white blood cells called neutrophils—a key step in clot formation. Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 13 Apr. 2023 Over a series of lab and mice experiments, the researchers showed the protein is essential for allowing platelets and neutrophils to coordinate. Jason Mast Reprints, STAT, 13 Apr. 2023 This suggests that coronaviruses induce an abnormal immune response that causes hyper inflammation and distorted neutrophil cells. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2022 Alpha defensins are further classified into human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) or human defensins (HDs). William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neutrophil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

International Scientific Vocabulary neutro- (from Latin neutr-, neuter neither) + -phil

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1890, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of neutrophil was circa 1890

Dictionary Entries Near neutrophil

Cite this Entry

“Neutrophil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neutrophil. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

neutrophil

noun
neu·​tro·​phil
ˈn(y)ü-trə-ˌfil
: a cell with fine grains in it that is the white blood cell doing most of the work in collecting and taking in stray and foreign matter

Medical Definition

neutrophil

1 of 2 adjective
neu·​tro·​phil ˈn(y)ü-trə-ˌfil How to pronounce neutrophil (audio)
variants or neutrophilic also neutrophile
: staining to the same degree with acid or basic dyes
neutrophil granulocytes

neutrophil

2 of 2 noun
variants also neutrophile
: a granulocyte that is the chief phagocytic white blood cell

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