fibril

[ fahy-bruhl, fib-ruhl ]

noun

1. a small or fine fiber or filament.
2. Botany. any of the delicate hairs on the young roots of some plants.
3. Cell Biology. any threadlike structure or filament.

fibril

/ ˈfaɪbrɪl; fɪ-; faɪˈbrɪlə /

noun

1. a small fibre or part of a fibre
2. biology a threadlike structure, such as a root hair or a thread of muscle tissue

fibril

/ fī′brəl,fĭb′rəl /

1. Any of various threadlike fibers or filaments that are constituent parts of a cell or larger structure. Cellulose fibrils are the main component of cell walls in plants. Fibrils make up the contractile part of striated muscle fiber in the body.

Derived Forms

• fiˈbrilliˌform, adjective
• ˈfibrilar, adjective

Other Words From

• fibril·lar adjective
• fibril·lose adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fibril¹

1655–65; < New Latin fibrilla, equivalent to Latin fibr ( a ) fiber + -illa diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of fibril¹

C17: from New Latin fibrilla a little fibre

Example Sentences

Each of these vesicles contains an auditory rod, and is in communication with the auditory nerve through a delicate nerve-fibril.

From Project Gutenberg

But a muscular fibril contracts only under the stimulus of a nervous impulse.

From Project Gutenberg

Fī′bril, a small fibre; one of the extremely minute threads composing an animal fibre; Fibril′la, a fibril, filament.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cord
• cotton
• fiber
• filament
• hair
• ribbon
• strand
• string
• wire
• wool
• yarn