Meanings
plural vesicles
- A small bladder-like cell or cavity, as:
- biologyA small sac filled with juice, one of many constituting the pulp of a fruit such as an orange, lemon, or grapefruit.
- anatomyA pocket of embryonic tissue that is the beginning of an organ.
- geographyA small cavity formed in volcanic rock by entrapment of a gas bubble during solidification.
It frequently contains holes, or vesicles, especially nearer the surface of a flow where gas has escaped.
2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 51
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(usually and especially) Such a blister that is less than 5 mm in diameter.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna small anatomically normal sac or bladderlike structure (especially one containing fluid)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinvēsīcula
- Middle Frenchvesicule
- Englishvesicle
From Middle French vesicule, from Latin vēsīcula. By surface analysis, vesic- + -le. Doublet of vesicule.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian кухина́, меху́рче
- кухина́ (kuhiná)geology: small cavity
- меху́рче (mehúrče)small bladderlike cell or cavity
- торби́чка (torbíčka)anatomy: small sac or cyst
- ки́ста (kísta)anatomy: small sac or cyst
Catalan vesícula, vesícula
- vesículasmall bladderlike cell or cavity
- vesículaanatomy: small sac or cyst
Chinese Mandarin 囊泡
- 囊泡 (nángpào)cytology: membrane-bound compartment
Dutch blaasje, vesikel
- blaasjesmall bladderlike cell or cavity
- vesikelsmall bladderlike cell or cavity
Finnish rakkula, vesikkeli
- rakkulacytology: membrane-bound compartment
- vesikkelicytology: membrane-bound compartment
- kalvorakkulacytology: membrane-bound compartment
- rakkulaanatomy: pocket of embryonic tissue
- rakkulageology: small cavity
- rakkulasmall bladderlike cell or cavity
- rakkoanatomy: small sac or cyst
German Blase, Blase
- Blasegeology: small cavity
- Blasesmall bladderlike cell or cavity
- Blaseanatomy: small sac or cyst
Greek κυστίδιο, κυστίδιο
- κυστίδιο (kystídio)cytology: membrane-bound compartment
- κυστίδιο (kystídio)anatomy: pocket of embryonic tissue
- κυστίδιο (kystídio)small bladderlike cell or cavity
- κυστίδιο (kystídio)anatomy: small sac or cyst
Hungarian hólyag, hólyagocska
- hólyagsmall bladderlike cell or cavity
- hólyagocskasmall bladderlike cell or cavity
- hólyagcsasmall bladderlike cell or cavity
- vízhólyaganatomy: small sac or cyst
Irish cloigín
- cloigínsmall bladderlike cell or cavity
Japanese 小胞, 小胞
- 小胞 (shōhō)cytology: membrane-bound compartment
- 小胞 (shōhō)anatomy: pocket of embryonic tissue
- 気孔 (kikō)geology: small cavity
- 水疱 (suihō)anatomy: small sac or cyst
Māori pakohu
- pakohucytology: membrane-bound compartment
Polish pęcherzyk
- pęcherzykcytology: membrane-bound compartment
Romanian veziculă
- veziculăsmall bladderlike cell or cavity
Spanish vesícula
- vesículacytology: membrane-bound compartment
Swedish vesikel
- vesikelcytology: membrane-bound compartment
Vietnamese túi, bọng
- túicytology: membrane-bound compartment
- bọngcytology: membrane-bound compartment
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
vesicle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vesicle
“vesicle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vesicle. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vesicle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vesicle.
Source: vesicle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.