osteoblast

noun

os·​te·​o·​blast ˈä-stē-ə-ˌblast How to pronounce osteoblast (audio)
: a bone-forming cell
osteoblastic adjective

Examples of osteoblast 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.
Nicotine can tank your health in myriad ways, but one of them is preventing osteoblasts, or your bone-building cells, from doing their job. Alisa Hrustic, SELF, 24 June 2025 By feeding it urea extracted from human urine, the yeast initiates a biochemical chain reaction that results in the secretion of crystalline hydroxyapatite, just like osteoblasts do. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2025 Your bone mass, too, tends to decline with age; creatine could also bolster bone health by stimulating osteoblasts, cells that repair and build bone. Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 28 May 2025 In both men and women, these hormones help to increase the activity of osteoblasts. Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025 In particular, a joint study by Creighton University in Nebraska and the University of Miami, Florida, found that caffeine reduced the expression of vitamin D receptors on osteoblasts—the cells in our bodies responsible for producing bone. Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2025 Bone formation is coupled with bone resorption, as osteoblasts build bone at the same rate that osteoclasts resorb bone. Lorena Meouchi, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2025 The disease occurs when there's an imbalance between a person's osteoblasts – which are bone-building cells – and their osteoclasts, which are bone-degrading cells. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 2 Feb. 2025 Throughout life, our bone tissue is maintained by bone-building osteoblasts working in harmony with counterpart cells called osteoclasts, which break down old bone that needs replacing. Jolene Edgar, Allure, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of osteoblast was in 1867

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Osteoblast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/osteoblast. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

osteoblast

noun
os·​te·​o·​blast ˈäs-tē-ə-ˌblast How to pronounce osteoblast (audio)
: a cell that forms bone

Medical Definition

osteoblast

noun
os·​teo·​blast ˈäs-tē-ə-ˌblast How to pronounce osteoblast (audio)
: a bone-forming cell

More from Merriam-Webster on osteoblast

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!