macropinocytosis

noun

A form of endocytosis in which a large fluid-filled vesicle, or macropinosome, is pinched off from the cell membrane and brought into the interior of the cell

OriginEnglish pinocytosis ← French macro- ← Ancient Greek μᾰκρός (măkrós) →
Scrabble 27
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Meanings

nounmacropinocytosis (countable and uncountable, plural macropinocytoses)

plural macropinocytoses

  1. countableuncountablebiologyA form of endocytosis in which a large fluid-filled vesicle, or macropinosome, is pinched off from the cell membrane and brought into the interior of the cell

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*meh₂ḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*mh₂ḱrós
  3. Proto-Hellenic*makrós
  4. Ancient Greekμᾰκρός (măkrós)
  5. Frenchmacro-
  6. Englishmacro-
  7. Englishpinocytosis
  8. Englishmacropinocytosis

From macro- + pinocytosis.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

macropinocytosis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macropinocytosis

MLA

“macropinocytosis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macropinocytosis. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “macropinocytosis,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macropinocytosis.

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