Blastic
/ˈblæs.tɪk/noun
Relating to or resembling a blast or blast-like cells, especially in medicine.
Did you know?The same ancient Greek root behind “blastic” also gave English words for budding, sprouting, and embryonic growth—so this word is less about destruction than about something breaking open into new life.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“to swell, bud, or bloom”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βλαστάνειν (blastánein)
“to sprout, shoot forth, or bud”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βλαστός (blastós)
“a sprout, bud, or offshoot”
Late Latin
Latin
blasticus
“pertaining to budding or growth”
Modern English
English
blastic
“relating to blast-like cells or, in biology, to formative growth stages”
Explore more surprising origins