Phag"o*cyte (?), n. [Gr. &?; to eat + &?; a hollow vessel.] (Physiol.) A leucocyte which plays a part in retrogressive processes by taking up (eating), in the form of fine granules, the parts to be removed.

• A cell in the bloodstream, such as a white blood cell, that engulfs and destroys waste material, harmful microorganisms, or other foreign bodies.