trichocyst: Meaning and Definition of

trich•o•cyst

Pronunciation: (trik'u-sist"), [key]
— n. Zool.
  1. an organ of offense and defense embedded in the outer cytoplasm of certain protozoans, consisting of a small elongated sac containing a fine, hairlike filament capable of being ejected.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.