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

Examples of red blood cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That rare malady results in an accumulation of the pigment found in red blood cells. —Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026

Eggs are also a source of vitamin B12, which supports nerve function and red blood cell production, Manaker says. —Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 15 May 2026

An essential trace mineral that supports healthy blood vessels and red blood cell formation. —Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2026

The average lifespan of a red blood cell is just under four months, while skin cells last about a month and those in the intestinal lining exist for just a few days. —K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for red blood cell

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

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