Meanings
plural erythrocytes
- biologyA 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.
The want of success of these names may be attributed to their awkwardness in sound or sense; "erythrocyte" seems the best of them, but is unfortunately four-syllabled.
1901 March 23, Ch. S. Sherrington, “The name of the red corpuscle: a suggestion”, in British Medical Journal, page 7421 more example
Granular, basic, or punctate degeneration of the erythrocyte is a condition in which this cell presents fine or coarse granules that have an affinity for basic stains.
1901 September 28, C. Y. White, “Granular degeneration of the erythrocyte”, in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, volume 122, number 3Synonyms: red blood cell, RBC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA 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.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna mature blood cell that contains hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the bodily tissues; a biconcave disc that has no nucleus
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁rewdʰ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁rudʰrós
- Proto-Hellenic*erutʰrós
- Ancient Greekἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós)
- Englisherythro-
- Ancient Greekκῠ́τος (kŭ́tos)
- Latincyta
- Englisherythrocyte
From erythro- (“red”) + -cyte (“cell”), referring to the red color of hemoglobin when oxygen is bound to it.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian еритроци́т
- еритроци́т (eritrocít)scientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Catalan eritròcit
- eritròcitscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Czech erytrocyt
- erytrocytscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Danish erytrocyt
- erytrocytscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Dutch erytrocyt
- erytrocytscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Esperanto eritrocito
- eritrocitoscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Finnish erytrosyytti
- erytrosyyttiscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
French érythrocyte
- érythrocytescientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
German Erythrozyt
- Erythrozytscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Greek ερυθροκύτταρο
- ερυθροκύτταρο (erythrokýttaro)scientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Hindi लाल रक्त कोशिका
- लाल रक्त कोशिका (lāl rakt kośikā)scientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Hungarian eritrocita
- eritrocitascientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Indonesian eritrosit
- eritrositscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Irish eiritricít
- eiritricítscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Italian eritrocita, eritrocito
- eritrocitascientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
- eritrocitoscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Latin erythrocytus
- erythrocytusscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Polish erytrocyt
- erytrocytscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Portuguese eritrócito
- eritrócitoscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Romanian eritrocit
- eritrocitscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Russian эритроци́т
- эритроци́т (eritrocít)scientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Spanish eritrocito
- eritrocitoscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Swedish erytrocyt
- erytrocytscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Turkish eritrosit
- eritrositscientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Ukrainian еритроци́т
- еритроци́т (erytrocýt)scientific name for red blood cell — see also red blood cell
Cite this entry
erythrocyte. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erythrocyte
“erythrocyte.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erythrocyte. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “erythrocyte,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erythrocyte.
Source: erythrocyte on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.