vesicle

noun ves·i·cle \ ˈve-si-kəl \

|Updated on: 4 Jun 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

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Recent Examples of vesicle from the Web

The vesicles are popular in cocktails, as condiments, garnishes, and as an accent to fish.

— nan sterman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Branching out with new crops," 31 May 2018
But the real surprise comes in the tasting: The tart vesicles pop on the tongue, again like caviar, exploding flavor that gourmets have described as intense lemon and lime with herbaceous notes.

— earl nickel, San Francisco Chronicle, "Finger limes the ‘caviar’ of citrus for your garden," 9 Apr. 2018
However, if your child is not vaccinated yet, varicella will appear as a red bump that will progress over the course of few hours into a vesicle that will then dry and form a crust.

— gabriela moraru, m.d., miamiherald, "My child has a rash! What should I do? | Miami Herald," 1 May 2018
Unlike the teardrop sacs in regular citrus, the finger lime’s greenish-white or pinkish vesicles are round and firm and do indeed resemble caviar.

— earl nickel, San Francisco Chronicle, "Finger limes the ‘caviar’ of citrus for your garden," 9 Apr. 2018
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

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

Recent Examples of vesicle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of vesicle

Medical Dictionary

vesicle

medical Definition of vesicle

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