Leucocyte
/ˈluː.kə.saɪt/noun
A white blood cell involved in the body’s immune defense.
Did you know?The same Greek root leuk- that gave us leucocyte also appears in words for “light” and “white,” which is why ancient color language and modern biology collide here.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λευκός (leukós)
“white, bright”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κύτος (kýtos)
“a hollow vessel, container, or cell”
Late 19th Century
French/Scientific Latin
leucocyte
“a white blood cell”
Modern English
English
leucocyte
“a white blood cell”