encyst

verb

en·​cyst in-ˈsist How to pronounce encyst (audio)
en-
encysted; encysting; encysts
Synonyms of encystnext

transitive verb

: to enclose in a cyst

intransitive verb

: to form or become enclosed in a cyst
encystment
in-ˈsis(t)-mənt How to pronounce encyst (audio)
en-
noun

Word History

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of encyst was in 1720

Dictionary Entries Near encyst

Encyrtidae

encyst

end

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Encyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encyst. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

encyst

verb
en·​cyst in-ˈsist How to pronounce encyst (audio)
en-
: to form or become enclosed in a cyst
encystment
-ˈsis(t)-mənt How to pronounce encyst (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

encyst

transitive verb
en·​cyst in-ˈsist, en- How to pronounce encyst (audio)
: to enclose in or as if in a cyst
an encysted tumor

intransitive verb

: to form or become enclosed in a cyst
protozoans encysting in order to resist desiccation
encystment
-ˈsis(t)-mənt How to pronounce encyst (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on encyst

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for encyst

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...