Meanings
plural syncytia · alternative syncitium
- biologyA mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei; a multinucleate cell resulting from cell fusions of mononuclear cells (for example, the cells that make up animal skeletal muscle).
These included multilobular consolidation with histiological lesions of bronchiolitis with epithelial necrosis and syncytia.
2015 November 17, “Single Pathogen Challenge with Agents of the Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex”, in PLOS ONE, →DOISynonyms: coenocyte
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei; a multinucleate cell resulting from cell fusions of mononuclear cells (for example, the cells that make up animal skeletal muscle).
Origin
- Ancient Greekσύν“with”
- Englishsyncytium
From Ancient Greek σύν (sún, “with”) + κύτος (kútos, “vessel, cell”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مُلْتَحِم خَلَوِيّ
- مُلْتَحِم خَلَوِيّ (multaḥim ḵalawiyy)a mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei
Czech soubuní, syncytium
- soubunía mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei
- syncytiuma mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei
German Synzytium
- Synzytiuma mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei
Norwegian Bokmål syncytium
- syncytiuma mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei
Polish syncytium, zespólnia
- syncytiuma mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei
- zespólniaa mass of cytoplasm containing many nuclei
Cite this entry
syncytium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/syncytium
“syncytium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/syncytium. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “syncytium,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/syncytium.
Source: syncytium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.