hypocellular
|hy-po-cel-lu-lar|
🇺🇸
/ˌhaɪpoʊˈsɛljələr/
🇬🇧
/ˌhaɪpəˈsɛljʊlə/
fewer cells than normal
Etymology
'hypocellular' originates from Greek and Latin elements: the prefix 'hypo-' (Greek) meaning 'under' or 'less than', combined with 'cellular' from Latin 'cellula' (diminutive of 'cella') meaning 'small room' or 'chamber'.
'cellula' entered scientific Latin and later English as 'cell'/'cellular'; in modern medical English the Greek prefix 'hypo-' was joined to 'cellular' to form the compound adjective 'hypocellular' in 19th–20th century pathological usage.
Initially it literally described 'below-normal number of cells'; over time it has remained a technical term used in pathology to denote decreased cellularity of tissues or marrow.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having fewer cells than normal; diminished cellularity (used especially in pathology to describe tissues or bone marrow).
The bone marrow biopsy was hypocellular, which supported the diagnosis of aplastic anemia.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/06 09:19