Definitions for macrophageˈmæk rəˌfeɪdʒ
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
mac•ro•phageˈmæk rəˌfeɪdʒ(n.)
a large white blood cell, occurring principally in connective tissue and in the bloodstream, that ingests foreign particles and infectious microorganisms by phagocytosis.
Category: Histology, Laboratory Biology, Cell Biology
Origin of macrophage:
< G Makrophagen (pl.) (Metchnikoff, 1887), with -phagen repr. Phagozyten phagocytes; see macro -, -phage
mac`ro•phag′ic-ˈfædʒ ɪk(adj.)
Princeton's WordNet
macrophage(noun)
a large phagocyte; some are fixed and other circulate in the blood stream
Wiktionary
macrophage(Noun)
A white blood cell that phagocytizes necrotic cell debris and foreign material, including viruses, bacteria, and tattoo ink. It presents foreign antigens on MHC II to lymphocytes. Part of the innate immune system.
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