phagocytosis

From German Phagocytosis; equivalent to phagocyte +‎ -osis; compare French phagocytose.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌfeɪ.ɡəʊ.saɪˈtəʊ.sɪs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌfeɪ.ɡoʊ.saɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/

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• Rhymes: -əʊsɪs
• Hyphenation: pha‧go‧cy‧to‧sis

phagocytosis (countable and uncountable, plural phagocytoses)

1. (immunology, cytology) A form of endocytosis in which a cell incorporates a particle by extending pseudopodia and drawing the particle into a vacuole of its cytoplasm.
   • 1889 April 13, William Osler, “Original Lectures: On Phagocytes”, in Medical Record, volume 35, number 15, page 393:

     On account of the possession of this property, Metschnikoff has suggested for these groups of cells the term phagocytes, as expressive of their most distinctive feature, and for the process in general the term phagocytosis.