Leukocyte
/ˈluːkəsaɪt/noun
A white blood cell involved in the body’s immune defense.
Did you know?Leukocyte comes from Greek leukos (“white”) + kytos (“hollow vessel, cell”), and that same kytos root also gave us words for containers and cells in biology.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λευκός (leukós)
“white, bright, shining”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κύτος (kýtos)
“a hollow vessel, container; later, a cell”
19th Century
French/English scientific Latin
leucocyte
“a white blood cell”
Modern English
English
leukocyte
“a white blood cell”