white cell

/waɪt sɛl/

/hwaɪt sɛl/

Other forms: white cells

Definitions of white cell

1. noun

   blood cells that engulf and digest bacteria and fungi; an important part of the body's defense system
   synonyms: WBC, leucocyte, leukocyte, white blood cell, white blood corpuscle, white corpuscle

   types:

   myelocyte

   an immature leukocyte normally found in bone marrow

   myeloblast

   a precursor of leukocytes that normally occurs only in bone marrow

   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

   B cell, B lymphocyte

   a lymphocyte derived from bone marrow that provides humoral immunity; it recognizes free antigen molecules in solution and matures into plasma cells that secrete immunoglobulin (antibodies) that inactivate the antigens

   T cell, T lymphocyte

   a small lymphocyte developed in the thymus; it orchestrates the immune system's response to infected or malignant cells

   lymphoblast

   an immature lymphocyte

   plasma cell, plasmacyte

   a cell that develops from a B lymphocyte in reaction to a specific antigen; found in bone marrow and sometimes in the blood

   monoblast

   a large immature monocyte normally found in bone marrow

   microphage

   a neutrophil that ingests small things (as bacteria)

   type of:

   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