phagocytose

[ fag-uh-sahy-tohs, -tohz ]

verb (used with object)

, phag·o·cy·tosed, phag·o·cy·tos·ing.

1. phagocytize.

Word History and Origins

Origin of phagocytose¹

First recorded in 1930–35; back formation from phagocytosis

Example Sentences

The immune cells gobble up—or, more formally, phagocytose—unneeded synapses and debris, and they look for signs of injury or invasion by pathogens.

From Scientific American

Microglia can consume, or phagocytose, neuron bodies and synapses, reshaping neural circuits if the cells are dying or even when they are under stress.

From Scientific American