Definition of "macrophage" [mac•ro•phage]

• Any of the large phagocytic cells of the reticuloendothelial system. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The word macrophage, translated literally, means “big eater.”"
• "Their analysis revealed what they call a macrophage sterol-responsive network (MSRN), including proteins already known to work together."
• "In the first study, Satoshi Nishimura and colleagues from the University of Tokyo show that CD8+ effector T cells play an important role in macrophage recruitment and adipose tissue inflammation."