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hair cell
noun
: a cell with hairlike processes
especially
: one of the sensory cells in the auditory epithelium of the organ of Corti
Examples of hair cell in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s because animals have hair in their ear (called cilia), which sends sounds to the brain, and those hair cells are able to regenerate.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Tinnitus is sometimes linked to high calcium concentrations in cochlear cells—sensory hair cells inside and outside the ear that help your brain interpret sounds.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 20 Oct. 2024
Participants who had been infected with COVID were also 3.5 times more likely to experience sensorineural hearing loss, which occurs when damage occurs to the hair cells in the inner ear, the vestibulocochlear nerve connecting the inner ear to the brain, or the brain’s central processing centers.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 11 Sep. 2024
The loops inside the inner ear, called semicircular canals, can sense these movements using fluid and hair cells.
—Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1890, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hair cell
Cite this Entry
“Hair cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair%20cell. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
hair cell
noun
: a cell with hairlike processes
especially
: one of the sensory cells in the auditory epithelium of the organ of Corti
More from Merriam-Webster on hair cell
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hair cell
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