verb
- engulfs and destroys foreign particles, bacteria, or cellular debris through the process of phagocytosis
Usage: biology; third person singular present tense
Examples
- The white blood cell phagocytizes harmful bacteria in the bloodstream.
- A macrophage phagocytizes dead tissue cells to clean up damaged areas.
- The immune cell quickly phagocytizes the invading pathogen.
- When the body detects infection, it phagocytizes foreign substances.
- The amoeba phagocytizes food particles for nutrition.
- Each neutrophil phagocytizes multiple bacteria during an immune response.