platelet

noun

plate·​let ˈplāt-lət 

: 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

The New Jersey Department of Health said the state has less than a one-week supply of red blood cells and less than a day's supply of platelets. —Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026

Donors of all blood types are needed, especially type O and platelet donors. —Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026

Ginseng can impact platelet and clotting factors and affect insulin sensitivity. —Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2026

More than 10,000 blood and platelet donations were not collected from Friday to Monday, according to the Red Cross. —Ciara McCarthy 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing platelet

• blood platelet

Rhymes for platelet

• antiplatelet

Kids 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