Etymology

erythrocyte

E1R1Y4T1H4R1O1C3Y4T1E1

Today it means: A hemoglobin-containing cell, especially as found in humans but more generally present in the blood of most vertebrates, that is involved with the transport of oxygen; such cells are usually anucleate in humans and many other animals. Full definition →

Latin cyta ← Ancient Greek κῠ́τος (kŭ́tos) ← English erythro-
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁rewdʰ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁rudʰrós
  3. Proto-Hellenic*erutʰrós
  4. Ancient Greekἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós)
  5. Englisherythro-
  6. Ancient Greekκῠ́τος (kŭ́tos)
  7. Latincyta
  8. English todayerythrocyte

From erythro- (“red”) + -cyte (“cell”), referring to the red color of hemoglobin when oxygen is bound to it.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.