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

Those cells, present in blood and bone marrow, are capable of forming mature red blood cells (which carry oxygen), platelets (which help stop bleeding) and white blood cells (which help fight infections). —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025

Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells, or white blood cells that help fight infections by producing antibodies, according to the Mayo Clinic. —Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025

Purple illustrated macrophages, white blood cells in the immune system. —Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

For one thing, lungs contain many blood vessels and white blood cells called macrophages, which surround and kill bacteria and viruses. —Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 28 Aug. 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