vacuole
noun
vac·u·ole
ˈva-kyə-ˌwōl 
1
: a small cavity or space in the tissues of an organism containing air or fluid
2
: a cavity or vesicle in the cytoplasm of a cell usually containing fluid see cell illustration
Examples of vacuole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This is unlike adipocytes, which, in obesity, will fill their lipid vacuoles and grow in size or empty them and shrink during periods of starvation.
—
New Atlas, 30 Jan. 2025
Burnetti hoped the rhodopsin would find its way into the yeast’s vacuole, an enzyme-laden sac that degrades unneeded proteins.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 18 Apr. 2023
The plant then converts the CO2 to a chemical called malate and tucks it away for the night in a cellular closet called a vacuole.
—Kurt Kleiner, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Nov. 2022
This vacuole pushes the cell’s essential proteins, sugars and metabolites against its membrane, facilitating easier diffusion.
—Sumeet Kulkarni, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2022
Depending on the density of the flock and speed of the predator, the starlings’ reactions can take many escape patterns, including flying outward to create a vacuole—an empty space.
—Lauryn Hill, Wired, 5 Feb. 2021
The central empty spaces are vacuoles, which get larger and larger as injured cells approach death.
—Sharon Begley, STAT, 3 May 2018
The green enclosure is a vacuole.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
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New Atlas, 30 Jan. 2025
Burnetti hoped the rhodopsin would find its way into the yeast’s vacuole, an enzyme-laden sac that degrades unneeded proteins.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 18 Apr. 2023
The plant then converts the CO2 to a chemical called malate and tucks it away for the night in a cellular closet called a vacuole.
—Kurt Kleiner, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Nov. 2022
This vacuole pushes the cell’s essential proteins, sugars and metabolites against its membrane, facilitating easier diffusion.
—Sumeet Kulkarni, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2022
Depending on the density of the flock and speed of the predator, the starlings’ reactions can take many escape patterns, including flying outward to create a vacuole—an empty space.
—Lauryn Hill, Wired, 5 Feb. 2021
The central empty spaces are vacuoles, which get larger and larger as injured cells approach death.
—Sharon Begley, STAT, 3 May 2018
The green enclosure is a vacuole.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
Cite this Entry
“Vacuole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacuole. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vacuole
noun
vac·u·ole
ˈvak-yə-ˌwōl
: a cavity in bodily tissues or in the cytoplasm of a cell that is usually filled with fluid
Medical Definition
vacuole
noun
vac·u·ole
ˈvak-yə-ˌwōl
1
: a small cavity or space in the tissues of an organism containing air or fluid
2
: a cavity or vesicle in the cytoplasm of a cell containing fluid
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