cilium
/ˈsɪlɪəm
/noun (usually in plural cilia /ˈsɪlɪə/)
1 Biology A short microscopic hair-like vibrating structure found in large numbers on the surface of certain cells, either causing currents in the surrounding fluid, or, in some protozoans and other small organisms, providing propulsion.Some single-celled organisms called protists do in fact use cilia on their cell surface to swim through water....
- Our respiratory systems are lined with millions of tiny cilia that clean all kinds of irritants - germs, dust, mucus - out of our bodies.
- As the cilia whip around clockwise, they circulate the fluids.
2 Anatomy An eyelash.Ectopic cilia are particularly irritating and likely to cause corneal ulcers....
- Normally the eyelashes (or cilia) grow from follicles in the eyelid.
Origin
Early 18th century (in the sense 'eyelash'): from Latin.
Rhymes
- decidualization
- decidualized
- Deciduata
- deciduate
- deciduity
- deciduoma
- deciduous
- deciduously
- deciduousness
- deciduous tooth
- decigram
- decigramme
- decile
- deciliter
- decilitre
- decillion
- decillionth
- decim
- decima
- decimal
- decimal arithmetic
- decimal classification
- decimal coinage
- decimal currency
- decimal fraction