cyst

¹

[ sist ]

noun

1. Pathology. a closed, bladderlike sac formed in animal tissues, containing fluid or semifluid matter.
2. a bladder, sac, or vesicle.
3. Botany, Mycology.
   1. a sporelike cell with a resistant, protective wall.
   2. a cell or cavity enclosing reproductive bodies.
4. Zoology.
   1. a sac, usually spherical, surrounding an animal that has passed into a dormant condition.
   2. such a sac plus the contained animal.
   3. a capsule or resistant covering.

cyst-

²

1. variant of cysto-, before a vowel:

   cystectomy.

-cyst

³

1. variant of cysto-, as final element in a compound word:

   statocyst.

-cyst

¹

combining form

1. indicating a bladder or sac

   otocyst

cyst

²

/ sɪst /

noun

1. pathol any abnormal membranous sac or blisterlike pouch containing fluid or semisolid material
2. anatomy any normal sac or vesicle in the body
3. a thick-walled protective membrane enclosing a cell, larva, or organism

cyst

/ sĭst /

1. An abnormal membranous sac in the body, containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance.
2. A small, capsulelike form of certain organisms that develops in response to adverse or extreme conditions. Under adverse conditions, for instance, dinoflagellates form nonmotile resting cysts that fall to the ocean or lake bottom and can remain there for years before reviving. Certain invertebrates, such as the water bear (phylum Tardigrada), also develop cysts.

cyst

1. An abnormal saclike structure that develops in the body and is filled with fluid or semisolid material.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyst¹

First recorded in 1705–15; from New Latin cystis, from Greek kýstis “bag, pouch, bladder”; akin to kŷma cyma

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyst¹

from Greek kustis bladder

Origin of cyst²

C18: from New Latin cystis, from Greek kustis pouch, bag, bladder

Example Sentences

She was diagnosed with a cyst on her brain and was prescribed anxiety medication.

From Los Angeles Times

McPherson said she had previously found a cyst in one of her breasts in 2014, but it had turned out to be benign.

From BBC

"Having resistance to both species of the potato cyst nematodes that we see in Scotland and the UK, they'll be able to keep the numbers reduced in the soil," he said.

From BBC

In June 2022, she sought the opinion of another GP, who said it was a benign cyst.

From BBC

An ankle injury in March disrupted what was already planned to be his final season and when he did manage to race back, his participation in an emotional goodbye to Wimbledon came under threat as he needed back surgery to remove a cyst.

From BBC

Related Words

• blister
• sac
• sore