stem cell

noun

: an unspecialized cell that gives rise to differentiated cells
hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow

Examples of stem 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.
Shen has since begun consolidation chemotherapy, monthly cycles of treatment meant to keep the cancer from returning while doctors search for a stem cell donor match that could make a transplant possible. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026 The National Marrow Donor Program had matched him with a woman battling a rare blood disease, calling on him to donate peripheral blood stem cells through a long blood draw. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026 Unlike other skin-care innovations, such as exosomes, spicules, PDRN, and stem cells, longevity is more of a change in mindset than a shift in ingredients. — Deanna Pai, Vogue, 18 June 2026 Testing a long-standing assumption The assumption that fibroblasts are essential for skin stem cell proliferation traces back to cell culture experiments from the 1970s. — Peter Jurich, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stem cell

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stem cell was in 1896

Rhymes for stem cell

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Browse Nearby Words

stem canker
stem cell
stem christiania
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Cite this Entry

“Stem cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stem%20cell. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

stem cell

noun
: a simple cell that can become a cell (as a blood cell or skin cell) with a special function

Medical Definition

stem cell

noun
ˈstem- How to pronounce stem cell (audio)
: an unspecialized cell capable of perpetuating itself through cell division and having the potential to give rise to differentiated cells with specialized functions
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst stage of the embryo.—Carrie J. Merkle, in Essentials of Pathophysiology
… picture the bone marrow as a blood cell factory that takes a single type of precursor cell, or stem cell, and modifies it in various ways to produce all the cells that circulate in the blood.—Gina Kolata, Discover
Recent observations are providing increasing evidence for the concept that adult stem cells are part of a natural system for tissue repair.—Darwin J. Prockop, in Essentials of Stem Cell Biology

More from Merriam-Webster on stem cell

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stem cell

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