verb
- engulfs and destroys (bacteria, viruses, or other particles) by means of phagocytosis, a cellular process in which a cell surrounds and absorbs foreign matter
Usage: chiefly British spelling (American: phagocytizes); technical/scientific term; third-person singular present tense
Examples
- White blood cells phagocytises invading bacteria to protect the body from infection.
- The immune system phagocytises pathogens through a process called phagocytosis.
- Macrophages phagocytises dead cells and cellular debris in the tissue.
- When a neutrophil phagocytises a bacterium, it releases enzymes to break it down.
- The body's defense mechanism phagocytises foreign particles to maintain health.