Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

cilium

American  
[sil-ee-uhm] / ˈsɪl i əm /

noun

  1. singular of cilia.

cilium British  
/ ˈsɪlɪəm /

noun

  1. any of the short thread-like projections on the surface of a cell, organism, etc, whose rhythmic beating causes movement of the organism or of the surrounding fluid

  2. the technical name for eyelash

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cilium Scientific  
/ sĭl′ē-əm /

plural

cilia

  1. A tiny hairlike projection on the surface of some cells and microscopic organisms, especially protozoans. Cilia are capable of whipping motions and are used by some microorganisms, such as paramecia, for movement. Cilia lining the human respiratory tract act to remove foreign matter from air before it reaches the lungs.

Etymology

Origin of cilium

From Latin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The reason for this daytime-induced enhanced healing process appears to be from the relationship the 24-hour cycle has on the length of the primary cilium.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2023

Depending on its position, a cilium can be more effected by its neighbor than vice versa, especially in a dense carpet of cilia as it frequently occurs in nature.

From Science Daily • Sep. 29, 2023

The current model is that cilia are attached to one another by “tip links,” structures which link the tips of one cilium to another.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

But almost all human cells also have one primary, or nonmotile, cilium that functions more like a molecular antenna.

From Scientific American • Dec. 10, 2014

D. A motile rodlet with one cilium and with a spore formed inside.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.