vesicle

noun ves·i·cle \ ˈve-si-kəl \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of vesicle

1 a : a membranous and usually fluid-filled pouch (such as a cyst, vacuole, or cell) in a plant or animal

b : a small abnormal elevation of the outer layer of skin enclosing a watery liquid : blister

c : a pocket of embryonic tissue that is the beginning of an organ

2 : a small cavity in a mineral or rock

See vesicle defined for kids

Recent Examples of vesicle from the Web

But that’s just the preview: When the fruit is cut in half, the pearlescent juice vesicles ooze out like mini eruptions.

— earl nickel, San Francisco Chronicle, "Finger limes the ‘caviar’ of citrus for your garden," 9 Apr. 2018
So recently, an international group of scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia, and other institutions began to consider vesicles.

— gretchen reynolds, New York Times, "The Mysterious Interior World of Exercise," 24 Jan. 2018
In the latter case, the vesicles contain dopamine, not protein aggregates.

— james hamblin, The Atlantic, "A New Understanding of Inflammation in the Spine," 15 Sep. 2017
Researchers also found that some cells produced membrane vesicles, which allow cells to communicate with one another—potentially to initiate the infection process.

— hannah osborne, Newsweek, "Bacteria Shapeshifts in Space to Defend Itself From Antibiotics—and That’s Bad News for Future Astronauts," 14 Sep. 2017
The chemicals are enclosed in tiny vesicles called exosomes that the cells shed.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Young cardiac cells rejuvenate heart in animal study," 29 Aug. 2017
A doctor used a scalpel and a quill to take fluid from smallpox vesicles on the skin of a person in the throes of the disease.

— stephen coss, Smithsonian, "What Led Benjamin Franklin to Live Estranged From His Wife for Nearly Two Decades?," 24 Aug. 2017
If your partner has prostate surgery, the prostate and seminal vesicle, both of which produce the fluid which help the sperm navigate the ejaculatory duct, are often removed, Dr. Chapin says.

— korin miller, SELF, "What to Do if Your Partner Is Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer," 21 July 2017
Some of them even worked inside fatty acid vesicles, a laboratory stand-in for protocells.

— roland pease, Science | AAAS, "How sunlight might have jump-started life on Earth," 12 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vesicle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of vesicle

Middle French vesicule, from Latin vesicula small bladder, blister, from diminutive of vesica

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1578

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

vesicle

noun ves·i·cle \ ˈves-i-kəl \

medical Definition of vesicle

1 a : a membranous and usually fluid-filled pouch (as a cyst, vacuole, or cell) in a plant or animal

b : synaptic vesicle

2 : a small abnormal elevation of the outer layer of skin enclosing a watery liquid : blister

3 : a pocket of embryonic tissue that is the beginning of an organ — see brain vesicle, optic vesicle, otic vesicle

Learn More about vesicle

Spanish Central: Translation of vesicle Nglish: Translation of vesicle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of vesicle for Arabic speakers

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vesicle

Definition of vesicle

Recent Examples of vesicle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of vesicle

Medical Dictionary

vesicle

medical Definition of vesicle

Learn More about vesicle

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vesicle

Definition of vesicle

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vesicle

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