oat cell

noun

: any of the small round or oval cells with a high ratio of nuclear protoplasm to cytoplasm that resemble oat grains and are characteristic of a small-cell lung cancer

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

oat cell

noun

ˈōt- 

: any of the small round or oval cells with a high ratio of nuclear protoplasm to cytoplasm that resemble oat grains and are characteristic of small-cell lung cancer