white blood cell

white blood cell

n. Abbr. WBC

Any of various blood cells that have a nucleus and cytoplasm, separate into a thin white layer when whole blood is centrifuged, and help protect the body from infection and disease. White blood cells include neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes. Also called leukocyte, white cell, white corpuscle.

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white blood cell

Noun

same as leucocyte

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white blood cell  (wt)

Any of various white or colorless cells in the blood of vertebrate animals, many of which participate in the inflammatory and immune responses to protect the body against infection and to repair injuries to tissues. White blood cells are formed mainly in the bone marrow, and unlike red blood cells, have a cell nucleus. The major types of white blood cells are granulocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes. White blood cells are far less numerous in the blood than red blood cells, but their amount usually increases in response to infection and can be monitored as part of a clinical assessment. Also called leukocyte.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

white blood cell - blood cells that engulf and digest bacteria and fungi; an important part of the body's defense system leucocyte, leukocyte, WBC, white blood corpuscle, white cell, white corpuscle myelocyte - an immature leukocyte normally found in bone marrow myeloblast - a precursor of leukocytes that normally occurs only in bone marrow blood cell, blood corpuscle, corpuscle - either of two types of cells (erythrocytes and leukocytes) and sometimes including platelets free phagocyte - a phagocyte that circulates in the blood lymph cell, lymphocyte - an agranulocytic leukocyte that normally makes up a quarter of the white blood cell count but increases in the presence of infection granulocyte - a leukocyte that has granules in its cytoplasm monocyte - a type of granular leukocyte that functions in the ingestion of bacteria basophil, basophile - a leukocyte with basophilic granules easily stained by basic stains neutrophil, neutrophile - the chief phagocytic leukocyte; stains with either basic or acid dyes eosinophil, eosinophile - a leukocyte readily stained with eosin