red blood cell
noun
variants or less commonly red blood corpuscle or red cell or red corpuscle
: any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and in mammals are typically biconcave disks which lack a nucleus and cellular organelles and are formed from nucleated cells of the red bone marrow
Note: The number of red blood cells ranges from four to six million in each cubic millimeter of normal human blood. The red color of blood is due to the presence of hemoglobin within the red blood cells.
called also erythrocyte
compare white blood cell
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web For comparison’s sake, a single red blood cell is about eight microns. 
Peter Krouse, cleveland, 7 Aug. 2022 The result will be rapid, high-resolution neutron images of structures a fraction of the size of a red blood cell and a powerful new window on the microscopic world. James Riordon, Scientific American, 29 July 2022 Tsuk received a life-saving blood transfusion after a blood test revealed her red blood cell count was dangerously low. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 21 July 2022 Bergland assists groups training at altitude by providing physiological testing that monitors red blood cell counts and VO2 max, a measurement of the amount of oxygen an athlete can use. Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2022 According to a family biography, Dr. Kazazian’s early research was on the regulation of the synthesis of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein of the red blood cell. Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 2 Mar. 2022 Athletes who enter with and maintain appropriate iron levels during the duration of their altitude training camps can expect roughly a 1% performance increase for a 4% red blood cell increase, Bergland said. Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2022 The right mix of protein (6 grams) to carbohydrates (30 grams) in the recovery window after a workout helps delay cortisol secretion and getting enough iron is essential to red blood cell production, regulated by naturally-occurring EPO. Kelly O'mara, Outside Online, 15 May 2014 However, Trudel’s team performed the same test a year later and found that red blood cell destruction was still 30 percent higher in the astronauts. Doug Johnson, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2022 See More
Peter Krouse, cleveland, 7 Aug. 2022 The result will be rapid, high-resolution neutron images of structures a fraction of the size of a red blood cell and a powerful new window on the microscopic world. James Riordon, Scientific American, 29 July 2022 Tsuk received a life-saving blood transfusion after a blood test revealed her red blood cell count was dangerously low. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 21 July 2022 Bergland assists groups training at altitude by providing physiological testing that monitors red blood cell counts and VO2 max, a measurement of the amount of oxygen an athlete can use. Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2022 According to a family biography, Dr. Kazazian’s early research was on the regulation of the synthesis of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein of the red blood cell. Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 2 Mar. 2022 Athletes who enter with and maintain appropriate iron levels during the duration of their altitude training camps can expect roughly a 1% performance increase for a 4% red blood cell increase, Bergland said. Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2022 The right mix of protein (6 grams) to carbohydrates (30 grams) in the recovery window after a workout helps delay cortisol secretion and getting enough iron is essential to red blood cell production, regulated by naturally-occurring EPO. Kelly O'mara, Outside Online, 15 May 2014 However, Trudel’s team performed the same test a year later and found that red blood cell destruction was still 30 percent higher in the astronauts. Doug Johnson, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1850, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
red blood cell
noun
: a tiny reddish cell of the blood that contains hemoglobin and carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues
Medical Definition
red blood cell
noun
: any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and are responsible for the red color of vertebrate blood
called also erythrocyte, red blood corpuscle, red cell, red corpuscle
compare white blood cell