noun

1. Bot. a plant cell containing plastids, starch grains, or other statoliths
2. Zool. a sense organ found in many invertebrate animals, consisting typically of a fluid-filled sac lined with small sensory hairs and containing one or more tiny, free, sandlike grains, or statoliths: it functions as an organ of balance or equilibrium

Etymology: < Gr statos, standing < histanai, to stand + -cyst