cyst
[ sist ]
/ sɪst /
noun
Pathology.
a closed, bladderlike sac formed in animal tissues, containing fluid or semifluid matter.
a bladder, sac, or vesicle.
Botany, Mycology.
- a sporelike cell with a resistant, protective wall.
- a cell or cavity enclosing reproductive bodies.
Zoology.
- a sac, usually spherical, surrounding an animal that has passed into a dormant condition.
- such a sac plus the contained animal.
- a capsule or resistant covering.
Origin of cyst
Words nearby cyst
Definition for cyst (2 of 3)
Definition for cyst (3 of 3)
Example sentences from the Web for cyst
British Dictionary definitions for cyst (1 of 2)
cyst
/ (sɪst) /
noun
pathol
any abnormal membranous sac or blisterlike pouch containing fluid or semisolid material
anatomy
any normal sac or vesicle in the body
a thick-walled protective membrane enclosing a cell, larva, or organism
Word Origin for cyst
C18: from New Latin
cystis, from Greek
kustis pouch, bag, bladder
British Dictionary definitions for cyst (2 of 2)
-cyst
n combining form
indicating a bladder or sac
otocyst
Word Origin for -cyst
from Greek
kustis bladder
Medical definitions for cyst (1 of 2)
cyst
[ sĭst ]
n.
An abnormal membranous sac containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance.
A sac or vesicle in the body.
A small capsulelike sac that encloses certain organisms in their dormant or larval stage.
Medical definitions for cyst (2 of 2)
cyst-
pref.
Variant ofcysto-
Scientific definitions for cyst
cyst
[ sĭst ]
An abnormal membranous sac in the body, containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance.
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.
Cultural definitions for cyst
cyst
[ (sist) ]
An abnormal saclike structure that develops in the body and is filled with fluid or semisolid material.