macrophage

[ mak-ruh-feyj ]

/ ˈmæk rəˌfeɪdʒ /

Save This Word!

noun Cell Biology.

a large white blood cell, occurring principally in connective tissue and in the bloodstream, that ingests foreign particles and infectious microorganisms by phagocytosis.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of macrophage

From the New Latin word macrophagus, dating back to 1885–90. See macro-, -phage

OTHER WORDS FROM macrophage

mac·ro·phag·ic

[mak-ruh-faj-ik], /ˌmæk rəˈfædʒ ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby macrophage

macron, macronucleate, macronucleus, macronutrient, macroorganism, macrophage, macrophagous, macrophotography, macrophyll, macrophysics, macrophyte

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use macrophage in a sentence

The lymph nodes are home to an array of immune cells, including macrophages.
Pollution mucks up the lungs’ immune defenses over time|Aimee Cunningham|November 21, 2022|Science News
Macrophages are bigger, curly-shaped cells that respond to the neutrophil alarms.
Explainer: The body’s immune system|Anna Napolitano|March 22, 2022|Science News For Students
Macrophages are massive brutes that literally eat their enemies and spit out the remaining chunks while alerting other forces of an invasion.
CRISPR On-Off Switch Will Help Unlock the Secrets of Our Immune System|Shelly Fan|March 8, 2022|Singularity Hub
They found that mature fat cells and fat tissue macrophages, a type of immune cell, were cellular targets for the virus.
COVID-19 can attack fat cells, but it’s still not clear what that means|Hannah Seo|December 10, 2021|Popular-Science

Macrophages activate T-cells to sic them on the agents of disease.
Triggering the Body’s Defenses to Fight Cancer - Issue 108: Change|Lina Zeldovich|November 3, 2021|Nautilus

British Dictionary definitions for macrophage

macrophage

/ (ˈmækrəʊˌfeɪdʒ) /

noun

any large phagocytic cell occurring in the blood, lymph, and connective tissue of vertebratesSee also histiocyte

Derived forms of macrophage

macrophagic (ˌmækrəʊˈfædʒɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for macrophage

macrophage

[ măk′rə-fāj′ ]

Any of various large white blood cells that play an essential immunologic role in vertebrates and some lower organisms by eliminating cellular debris and particulate antigens, including bacteria, through phagocytosis. Macrophages develop from circulating monocytes that migrate from the blood into tissues throughout the body, especially the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, lungs, brain, and connective tissue. Macrophages also participate in the immune response by producing and responding to inflammatory cytokines.