cilium

C3I1L1I1U1M3
/ˈsɪl.i.əm/

noun

A short microscopic hairlike organelle projecting from a eukaryotic cell (such as a unicellular organism or one cell of a multicelled organism) which serve either for propulsion by causing currents in the surrounding fluid or as sensors.

RareScrabble 10

Meanings

nouncilium (plural cilia)

plural cilia

  1. biologyA short microscopic hairlike organelle projecting from a eukaryotic cell (such as a unicellular organism or one cell of a multicelled organism) which serve either for propulsion by causing currents in the surrounding fluid or as sensors.

    The clockwise beating of cilia results in a net flow of extraembryonic fluid leftwards […]

    2006, Manfred Schliwa, Molecular Motors, page 359
    1 more example

    It is the deeper parts of such cells which give rise to delicate muscular fibres or networks of fibres, while the superficially placed body of the cell myoblast), the part which produces the above, performs other functions, and usually bears a cilium.

    1892, Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Claus, edited by F. G. Heathcote, Elementary Text-book of Zoology
  2. biologyOne of the fine hairs along an insect's wing.
  3. biologyOne of the hairs or similar protrusions along the margin of an organ.
  4. anatomyAn eyelash.

Synonyms & antonyms

Narrower

nounany of the short curved hairs that grow from the edges of the eyelids

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱelyom
  3. Proto-Italic*keljom
  4. Latincilium
  5. Englishcilium

Borrowed from Latin cilium (“eyelid”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian ресна, ресница
  • ресна (resna)hairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
  • ресница (resnica)hair along the margin of an organ
Catalan cili
  • cilihairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Chinese 纖毛 /纤毛, 纤毛
  • 纖毛 /纤毛 (xiānmáo)hairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
  • 纤毛 (xiānmáo)hairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Czech řasinka, brva
  • řasinkahairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
  • brvahairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Finnish värekarva, ripsi
  • värekarvahairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
  • ripsihair along the margin of an organ
French cil
  • cilhairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Greek βλεφαρίδα
  • βλεφαρίδα (vlefarída)hairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Italian ciglio
  • cigliohairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Māori hururiki
  • hururikihairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Polish rzęska, rzęska
  • rzęskahairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
  • rzęskahair along the margin of an organ
Portuguese cílio
  • cíliohairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Russian ресни́чка
  • ресни́чка (resníčka)hairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Spanish cilio
  • ciliohairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell
Swedish cilie
  • ciliehairlike organelle projecting from eukaryotic cell

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with cilium

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

cilium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cilium

MLA

“cilium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cilium. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cilium,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cilium.

Source: cilium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.