adipocyte (English)

Where does "adipocyte" come from?

The word adipocyte is formed by combining the Latin 'adeps', meaning fat, with the Greek 'kytos', meaning a hollow vessel or cell. Together, these roots create a modern scientific term that precisely describes the specialized cells within our bodies responsible for storing energy.

Full etymology tree

• adipocyte (English), 'a type of cell, present in adipose tissue, where fat is stored as a source of energy'
  • compound adipo- (English), 'fat, as fat tissue or fat cells.'
    • derived adeps (Latin), 'fat, lard, grease'
  • compound -cyte (English), 'Used to form cell names and classifications for mature cells.'
    • derived κύτος (kýtos) (Ancient Greek), 'a hollow'

Direct ancestors

• adipo- (English)
• -cyte (English)

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris