English
mastocyte
Mastocyte comes from German Mastzelle.
- Germanc. 1650–presentMastzelle
- Englishtodaymastocyte
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Germanc. 1650–presentMastzelle
- Englishtodaymastocyte
A compound of Mastzelle ‘mastocyte’ + κύτος ‘cell’
Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- ‘cover, skin’
Ancient Greek κύτος ‘cell’
The story
From German Mastzelle f, "feeding cell," coined in 1878 by immunologist Paul Ehrlich; "Mast" + Ancient Greek κύτος (kútos, “cell”).
Every English word from German Mastzelle
Today it means
noun mast cell
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / German Mastzelle / mastocyte