enucleate

verb

enu·​cle·​ate (ˌ)ē-ˈnü-klē-ˌāt How to pronounce enucleate (audio) -ˈnyü- How to pronounce enucleate (audio)
enucleated; enucleating

transitive verb

1
archaic : explain
2
: to deprive of a nucleus
3
: to remove without cutting into
enucleate a tumor
enucleate the eyeball
enucleation
(ˌ)ē-ˌn(y)ü-klē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce enucleate (audio)
noun

Word History

Etymology

Latin enucleatus, past participle of enucleare, literally, to remove the kernel from, from e- + nucleus kernel — more at nucleus

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of enucleate was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near enucleate

Entyloma

enucleate

Enugu

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Enucleate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enucleate. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

enucleate

1 of 2 transitive verb
enu·​cle·​ate (ˈ)ē-ˈn(y)ü-klē-ˌāt How to pronounce enucleate (audio)
enucleated; enucleating
1
: to deprive of a nucleus
2
: to remove without cutting into
enucleate a tumor
enucleate the eyeball
enucleation
(ˌ)ē-ˌn(y)ü-klē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce enucleate (audio)
noun
enucleator
(ˈ)ē-ˈn(y)ü-klē-ˌāt-ər How to pronounce enucleate (audio)
noun

enucleate

2 of 2 adjective
enu·​cle·​ate -klē-ət, -ˌāt How to pronounce enucleate (audio)
: lacking a nucleus
enucleate cells
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

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

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

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
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
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...