white blood cell

noun

: any of the blood cells that are colorless, lack hemoglobin, contain a nucleus, and include the lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils

called also leukocyte, white blood corpuscle, white cell

compare red blood cell

Examples of white blood cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

All your levels, your white blood cells, everything, just your immune system just kind of crashes. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025

The artists commissioned Harvard Medical School researchers to reprogram Lucier’s white blood cells into stem cells, capable of differentiating into various types of specialized cells. —Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Glutamine provides fuel for white blood cells, which protect your body by fighting off infection and helping you heal.2 Glutamine is commonly used in medical settings, such as in intensive care units, to treat people with critical illness as well as those recovering from major surgery and trauma. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 3 Apr. 2025

The white blood cells that help the body fight infections seem to change. —Jen Christensen, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white blood cell

• mademoiselle
• materiel
• subparallel
• antiparallel
• antipersonnel
• bagatelle
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal

Kids Definition

white blood cell

noun

: a colorless blood cell (as a lymphocyte) that lacks hemoglobin and contains a nucleus

called also leukocyte, white blood corpuscle, white cell, white corpuscle

Medical Definition

white blood cell

noun

: any of the blood cells of the immune system that are colorless, lack hemoglobin, contain a nucleus, and include the lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils along with their precursors and derivatives (as macrophages) : leukocyte

—abbreviation WBC

called also white blood corpuscle, white cell, white corpuscle

compare red blood cell