neutrophil

[ noo-truh-fil, nyoo- ]

adjective

1. (of a cell or cell part) having an affinity for neutral dyes.

noun

1. a phagocytic white blood cell having a lobulate nucleus and neutrophil granules in the cytoplasm.

neutrophil

/ ˈnjuːtrəˌfaɪl; ˈnjuːtrəˌfɪl /

noun

1. a leucocyte having a lobed nucleus and a fine granular cytoplasm, which stains with neutral dyes

adjective

1. (of cells and tissues) readily stainable by neutral dyes

Word History and Origins

Origin of neutrophil¹

First recorded in 1885–90; neutro- + -phil

Example Sentences

Glitches in RNA functioning can result in improperly assembled proteins, affecting neutrophils’ ability to zap the germs with their oxidative burst.

From Nautilus

In the process, neutrophils die too, but the body makes more.

From Nautilus

Sometimes Jongco would even hand-deliver them—CSHL is only 15 minutes away and neutrophils don’t live long outside the body, so timing was of the essence.

From Nautilus

If proteins come out nearly complete, the neutrophils might be able to do their job semi-decently, resulting in milder symptoms.

From Nautilus

The presence of those immune proteins was linked to having high levels of neutrophils in the blood and proteins that suggested the neutrophils had joined the fight.

From Science News

The nuclei are greenish, the red blood corpuscles orange, the acidophil granulation copper red, the neutrophil violet.

From Project Gutenberg

The mast cell granulations are stained pure blue, the eosinophil red, the neutrophil in mixed colour.

From Project Gutenberg

In isolated cases the increase at this time was very considerable; and in one case amounted almost to 12% of all neutrophil cells.

From Project Gutenberg

In contradistinction to the polynuclear neutrophil elements, these mononuclear forms shew no amœboid movement on the warm stage.

From Project Gutenberg

The mononuclear and transitional forms of the neutrophil group, do not under normal circumstances pass over into the blood-stream.

From Project Gutenberg