Cell
neutrophil Audio
neu·tro·phil [ noo-truh-fil, nyoo- ]
Subclass of:
granulocyte; Phagocytes
Etymology:
Latin neuter = neither + Greek philein = to love
In other words, having no special affinity for either acid or basic dyes.
Definitions related to neutrophil:
  • A type of immune cell that is one of the first cell types to travel to the site of an infection. Neutrophils help fight infection by ingesting microorganisms and releasing enzymes that kill the microorganisms. A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell, a type of granulocyte, and a type of phagocyte.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Granular leukocytes having a nucleus with three to five lobes connected by slender threads of chromatin, and cytoplasm containing fine inconspicuous granules and stainable by neutral dyes.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • White blood cells that seek out and engulf foreign cells.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • Neutrophil, type of white blood cell (leukocyte) that is characterized histologically by its ability to be stained by neutral dyes and functionally by its role in mediating immune responses against infectious microorganisms. Neutrophils, along with eosinophils and basophils, constitute a group of...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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