hair cell

noun

: a cell with hairlike processes
especially : one of the sensory cells in the auditory epithelium of the organ of Corti

Examples of hair cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tinnitus is sometimes linked to high calcium concentrations in cochlear cells—sensory hair cells inside and outside the ear that help your brain interpret sounds. Carley Millhone, Health, 20 Oct. 2024 Participants who had been infected with COVID were also 3.5 times more likely to experience sensorineural hearing loss, which occurs when damage occurs to the hair cells in the inner ear, the vestibulocochlear nerve connecting the inner ear to the brain, or the brain’s central processing centers. Maggie O'Neill, Health, 11 Sep. 2024 The loops inside the inner ear, called semicircular canals, can sense these movements using fluid and hair cells. Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024 With many of the other mutations that cause deafness, hair cells die during infancy or even at the fetal stage. Gina Kolata, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hair cell 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hair cell was circa 1890

Dictionary Entries Near hair cell

Cite this Entry

“Hair cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair%20cell. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

hair cell

noun
: a cell with hairlike processes
especially : one of the sensory cells in the auditory epithelium of the organ of Corti

More from Merriam-Webster on hair cell

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!