sickle cell

noun

: an abnormal red blood cell of crescent shape

Examples of sickle cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some people living with sickle cell disease need more than 100 pints of blood per year to treat their pain, and not every type of blood can be used for these treatments. — Jack Springgate, CBS News, 19 June 2026

Over the past two decades, CMS has applied CED to more than 30 treatments and tests for certain cancers, sickle cell disease, and severe hearing loss (cochlear implants), among other conditions. — Sue Peschin, Forbes.com, 9 June 2026

The hospital is home to one of the nation’s leading thalassemia programs, a lab supporting newborn screening and diagnostic follow-up, and a long-standing sickle cell program that has helped pioneer patient care and research for decades. — Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 2 June 2026

For example, Patients with sickle cell disease recently met with White House budget officials to request an exemption. — John Wilkerson, STAT, 12 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sickle cell

• bagatelle
• calomel
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• coronel
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle

Kids Definition

sickle cell

noun

: an abnormal red blood cell that is crescent-shaped

Medical Definition

sickle cell

noun

1

: an abnormal rigid, sticky red blood cell of crescent shape

2

: a condition characterized by sickle cells : sickle cell anemia, sickle-cell trait