cilium.

A short, fine projection from a cell’s surface, involved in movement, transport, or sensing.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• motile cilia
• ciliary motion

On the page

Cilia moved fluid along the tissue’s surface.

Under magnification, each cilium stood out against the cell membrane.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror. Forms: Singular cilium; plural cilia. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.