neutrophil
|neu-tro-phil|
🇺🇸
/ˈnuːtrəfɪl/
🇬🇧
/ˈnjuːtrəfɪl/
neutral-stain-loving white blood cell
Etymology
'neutrophil' originates from modern scientific formation, combining 'neutro-' from 'neutral' (ultimately Latin 'neutralis') and the Greek-derived suffix '-phil' from 'philos,' meaning 'loving' or 'fond of.'
'neutrophile' appeared in 19th‑century scientific German and English; the form 'neutrophil' became the standard English noun for the cell type in modern biomedical usage.
Initially, it meant 'neutral-dye-loving (cell or substance),' but over time it narrowed to its current meaning of 'a granulocytic white blood cell with neutral staining properties.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a type of white blood cell (a granulocyte) that stains readily with neutral dyes and serves as a primary responder in the innate immune system by engulfing and destroying pathogens.
A neutrophil engulfs bacteria during the early stages of an infection.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/11 21:38