cilia
cilia definition
cil·ia (sil′ē ə)
plural noun sing. cilium -·ium (-ē əm)
- the eyelashes
Etymology: ModL
Bot. small hairlike processes extending from certain plant cells and forming a fringe, as on the edges of some leaves- Zool. short, hairlike outgrowths of certain cells, usually capable of rhythmic beating that can produce locomotion and feeding currents, as in protozoans or small worms, or the movement of fluids, as in the ducts of higher forms
Etymology: L, pl. of cilium, eyelid; akin to celare: see conceal
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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