Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “phagocytosis” come from?

Phagocytosis comes from German Phagocytosis, a scientific term formed from Greek elements meaning the process of cells consuming foreign matter.

phagocytosis (English): A form of endocytosis in which a cell...

Definitions

  1. A form of endocytosis in which a cell...

Ancestry of “phagocytosis”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishphagocyteA cell of the immune system, such as a...
2Frenchphagocyterto phagocytize; to swallow up
3French-erForms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs
4Middle French-erForms infinitives of first-conjugation verbs;...
5Old French-iersuffix used to form infinitives of first...

Words derived from “phagocytosis”

  • hemophagocytosis
  • erythrophagocytosis
  • opsonophagocytosis
  • autophagocytosis
  • elastophagocytosis
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