macrophage

M3A1C3R1O1P3H4A1G2E1
US/ˈmækɹɔʊː.feɪd͡ʒ/

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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Meanings

nounmacrophage (plural macrophages)

plural macrophages

  1. biologyA 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.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
clasmatocytemacrophagocyte

Origin

From macro- + -phage, both from Ancient Greek.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بَالِعَة, مَاكْرُوفَاج
  • بَالِعَة (bāliʕa)type of white blood cell
  • مَاكْرُوفَاج (mākrūfāj)type of white blood cell
Catalan macròfag
  • macròfagtype of white blood cell
Chinese Mandarin 巨噬細胞 /巨噬细胞
  • 巨噬細胞 /巨噬细胞 (jùshìxìbāo)type of white blood cell
Czech makrofág
  • makrofágtype of white blood cell
Dutch macrofaag
  • macrofaagtype of white blood cell
Finnish makrofagi
  • makrofagitype of white blood cell
French macrophage
  • macrophagetype of white blood cell
German Makrophage, Fresszelle
  • Makrophagetype of white blood cell
  • Fresszelletype of white blood cell
Hungarian makrofág, nagy falósejt
  • makrofágtype of white blood cell
  • nagy falósejttype of white blood cell
Icelandic gleypifruma, stóræta
  • gleypifrumatype of white blood cell
  • stórætatype of white blood cell
  • stórátfrumatype of white blood cell
Italian macrofago
  • macrofagotype of white blood cell
Japanese マクロファージ
  • マクロファージ (makurofāji)type of white blood cell
Persian ماکروفاژ, ریزهخوار
  • ماکروفاژ (mâkrofâž)type of white blood cell
  • ریزهخوار (rize-xwâr)type of white blood cell
Portuguese macrófago
  • macrófagotype of white blood cell
Russian макрофа́г
  • макрофа́г (makrofág)type of white blood cell
Spanish macrófago
  • macrófagotype of white blood cell
Swedish makrofag
  • makrofagtype of white blood cell

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with macrophage

pageagestagemgwagegaugeengagesagecageragegagebeigebackstagemageunderagePaigeOsagephagebacteriophageplagepresagedisengageoverageassuage
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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