: a minute flattened body (as of ice or a mineral)
especially
: a minute colorless disklike body of mammalian blood that assists in blood clotting by adhering to other platelets and to damaged epithelium
called also blood platelet, thrombocyte
Examples of platelet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Where to donate blood or platelets Here are the permanent American Red Cross blood and platelet donation centers in the Sacramento area, but the organization also hosts blood drives throughout the region.
—
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
However, among the most concerning symptoms were profound abnormalities in blood coagulation, including thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), which place patients at severe risk of internal bleeding and cardiac arrest.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
The drug is designed to rapidly block platelets from clumping and restricting blood flow, lessening the adverse outcomes of a heart attack.
—Justin Zacks, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Per the Cleveland Clinic, HUS blocks small blood vessels in the kidneys, destroying red blood cells and reducing platelets in the blood.
—Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for platelet
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Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
However, among the most concerning symptoms were profound abnormalities in blood coagulation, including thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), which place patients at severe risk of internal bleeding and cardiac arrest.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
The drug is designed to rapidly block platelets from clumping and restricting blood flow, lessening the adverse outcomes of a heart attack.
—Justin Zacks, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Per the Cleveland Clinic, HUS blocks small blood vessels in the kidneys, destroying red blood cells and reducing platelets in the blood.
—Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for platelet
Cite this Entry
“Platelet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platelet. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
platelet
noun
plate·let
ˈplāt-lət 
: one of the tiny colorless disk-shaped bodies of the blood of mammals that assist in blood clotting
Medical Definition
platelet
noun
plate·let
ˈplāt-lət
: a minute colorless anucleate disklike body of mammalian blood that is derived from fragments of megakaryocyte cytoplasm, that is released from the bone marrow into the blood, and that assists in blood clotting by adhering to other platelets and to damaged epithelium
called also blood platelet, thrombocyte
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