red blood cell

noun

variants or less commonly red blood corpuscle or red cell or red corpuscle
: any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and in mammals are typically biconcave disks which lack a nucleus and cellular organelles and are formed from nucleated cells of the red bone marrow

Note: The number of red blood cells ranges from four to six million in each cubic millimeter of normal human blood. The red color of blood is due to the presence of hemoglobin within the red blood cells.

called also erythrocyte

compare white blood cell

Examples of red blood cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Mounting a rapid response DeStefano called for medications to try to keep Torres' blood pressure up, a rapid infuser and blood products, which included red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, platelets, cryoprecipitate and fibrinogen to increase the ability for her blood to clot. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026 The magic ingredient in ESM is carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme found in human red blood cells that helps us exhale carbon dioxide. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025 Low iron leads to fewer red blood cells and reduced oxygen delivery. Merve Ceylan, Health, 28 Dec. 2025 Some of the tiny complex structures printed so far have included a honeycomb, a maple leaf, and bioscaffolds that encapsulate cancer cells and red blood cells. New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for red blood cell

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red blood cell was in 1850

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Cite this Entry

“Red blood cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20blood%20cell. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

red blood cell

noun
: a reddish cell of the blood that contains hemoglobin and carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues

called also erythrocyte, red blood corpuscle, red cell, red corpuscle

Medical Definition

red blood cell

noun
: any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and are responsible for the red color of vertebrate blood

called also erythrocyte, red blood corpuscle, red cell, red corpuscle

compare white blood cell

More from Merriam-Webster on red blood cell

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