red blood cell

noun

variants or less commonly red blood corpuscle or red cell or red corpuscle

: any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and in mammals are typically biconcave disks which lack a nucleus and cellular organelles and are formed from nucleated cells of the red bone marrow

Note: The number of red blood cells ranges from four to six million in each cubic millimeter of normal human blood. The red color of blood is due to the presence of hemoglobin within the red blood cells.

called also erythrocyte

compare white blood cell

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

These are the body's raw materials -- the cells from which all specialized cells, like a red blood cell, can generate. —Jen Christensen, CNN, 9 Nov. 2022

Babesiosis is a disease caused by microscopic parasites—specifically, Babesia parasites—that infect red blood cells in the body. —Brian Mastroianni, Health, 27 Mar. 2023

The parasites infect and destroy red blood cells by forcing their cell membrane to break open. —Jocelyn Solis-moreira, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2023

Nate was born with sickle cell anemia, a red blood cell disorder that can lead to other serious medical concerns, such as infections and chronic pain. —Sydney Page, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023

Without iron, your red blood cells shrink and lack hemoglobin, causing iron deficiency anemia. —Isadora Baum, Health, 28 Mar. 2023

People with sickle cell are often fatigued because their red blood cells die fast, cutting off oxygen to the body. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2023

Take hydroxyurea, an oral drug that makes red blood cells more flexible, reducing pain crises and the need for blood transfusions. —Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Mar. 2023

Certain red blood cell abnormalities that make the cells more fragile and prone to hemolysis can be passed down through genetics. —Jonathan Reisman, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2016

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Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

red blood cell

noun

: a reddish cell of the blood that contains hemoglobin and carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues

called also erythrocyte, red blood corpuscle, red cell, red corpuscle

Medical Definition

red blood cell

noun

: any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and are responsible for the red color of vertebrate blood

called also erythrocyte, red blood corpuscle, red cell, red corpuscle

compare white blood cell