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

/ 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

²

combining form

1. indicating a bladder or sac

   otocyst

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

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

Origin of cyst²

from Greek kustis bladder

Example Sentences

But any permanent solution to the conflict must address the pulsing cyst at its heart.

From The Daily Beast

In “The Incalculable Life Gesture,” an elementary school principal develops a cyst in his throat that may or may not be malignant.

From The Daily Beast

Neither expectorated black matter, and both died from the bursting of a carbonaceous cyst into the bronchi, producing suffocation.

From Project Gutenberg

An ovarian cyst with a twisted pedicle has been found in a fœtus at birth (Otto von Franque).

From Project Gutenberg

It is necessary for the surgeon to remember that a cancerous Fallopian tube may lead to complications with an ovarian cyst.

From Project Gutenberg

It is not uncommon, after enucleating a cyst in this way, to find the ureter lying at the bottom of the recess.

From Project Gutenberg

This mode of dealing with a cyst is usually termed ‘incomplete ovariotomy’.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blister
• sac
• sore

Words That Use cyst-

What does cyst- mean?

The combining form cyst- is a combining form used like a suffix meaning “cyst,” which is a scientific term for a bladder, sac, or vesicle. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology and pathology.

The form cyst- comes from Greek kýstis, meaning “bag,” “pouch,” or “bladder.”

What are variants of cyst-?

The form cyst- is a variant of cysto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

A rare variant of cysto- is cysti-, as in cystiform.

When used as a suffix, the combining form cyst- becomes -cyst, as in oocyst. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for these forms.

Examples of cyst-

One example of a term from pathology that features the form cyst- is cystalgia, “pain in the bladder.”

Here, the form cyst- is used to mean “bladder”—specifically, the urinary bladder. The -algia portion of the word means “pain,” from Greek álgos. Cystalgia literally translates to “bladder pain.”

What are some words that use the combining form cyst-?

• cystadenoma
• cystectomy
• cystic
• cystitis
• cystoid
• cystoma

What are some other forms that cyst- may be commonly confused with?

• cis-
• crypto-
• cyclo-
• cyno-
• cyto-

Break it down!

The suffix -oid means “resembling” or “like.” Keeping this in mind, what does cystoid mean?