Synonyms

white blood cells

Cultural

Colorless cells in the blood that help combat infection. Some white blood cells act as scavengers by engulfing foreign particles (such as bacteria) and destroying them. Others produce antibodies or destroy dead cells. (See AIDS.)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It works by preventing white blood cells from attacking foreign material in the body.

From Science Daily

It is given as a nasal spray and leaves white blood cells in our lungs – called macrophages – on "amber alert" and ready to jump into action no matter what infection tries to get in.

From BBC

CAR T is a complex treatment that works by manipulating a patient’s own disease-fighting white blood cells—known as T cells—and then infusing them back into the body to fight cancer.

From The Wall Street Journal

These chemicals are released by white blood cells when the airways are irritated or exposed to allergens.

From Science Daily

The preclinical findings show how signals in the gut can trigger a surge of white blood cells from the bone marrow, creating conditions that encourage tumor growth.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023