single-nucleated
|sin-gle-nu-cle-at-ed|
🇺🇸
/ˌsɪŋɡəlˈnuːkliˌeɪtɪd/
🇬🇧
/ˌsɪŋɡəlˈnjuːkliˌeɪtɪd/
having one nucleus
Etymology
'single-nucleated' is a modern compound formed from 'single' + 'nucleated'. 'nucleated' originates from Latin 'nucleus', where 'nucleus' meant 'kernel' or 'core'.
'nucleus' in Latin (literally 'kernel' or 'small nut') passed into scientific Latin and English as 'nucleus'; the verb/adjective 'nucleate' (to form a nucleus / having a nucleus) developed from this root, and modern scientific English formed the compound adjective 'single-nucleated' to specify a single nucleus.
Originally 'nucleus' referred to a small kernel or core; over time its use extended in anatomy and cell biology to mean the central organelle of a cell. Consequently, 'nucleated' came to mean 'having a nucleus', and 'single-nucleated' specifically denotes 'having one nucleus'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having a single nucleus; (of a cell or organism) containing one nucleus rather than multiple nuclei.
Single-nucleated cells are typical of many types of animal tissues.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/01 20:38