follicle

/ˈfɒlɪkl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɑːlɪkl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfä-li-kəl/ (ame, mw)

follicle — noun

  • folliclesingular
  • folliclesplural

1. a very small hole in the skin that a single hair grows out of

1.名詞B2
釋義

a very small hole in the skin that a single hair grows out of

例句

Each hair on your head grows out of a tiny hole in the skin called a hair follicle.

called a hair follicle (defining the term within the sentence)

Amara noticed a small red bump where the hair follicle on her arm had become blocked.

collocation: blocked follicle

同義詞
  • pore

    also a small skin opening, but pores release sweat or oil; follicles grow hair. Not interchangeable.

文法句型

follicle + verb e.g. grow, become blocked

用法筆記

The term 'hair follicle' is far more common in everyday English than 'follicle' alone. When you see 'follicle' without a modifier, it almost always refers to a hair follicle.

常見錯誤

❌The pore on my arm is infected.' (when meaning a hair-related bump).
✅The hair follicle on my arm is infected.
💡a pore is a different skin opening (for sweat); a follicle is specifically for hair growth.

2. a small pocket, hollow space, or sac inside the body of a living thing, often ho

2.名詞C1
釋義

a small pocket, hollow space, or sac inside the body of a living thing, often holding or protecting cells

例句

Dr. Okafor asked the students to find the small round follicles in the stained tissue sample under their microscopes.

The biology textbook showed a labelled diagram of a follicle with its inner layers of cells.

同義詞
  • cavity

    a broader term for any hollow space; follicles are a type of cavity, but cavity can also refer to much larger spaces (e.g. the chest cavity).

  • sac

    a bag-like structure inside the body; a follicle is a kind of sac, but 'sac' is more general and not specific to small cavities.

文法句型

follicle + of [body part]

用法筆記

This general anatomical sense is mostly used in formal or scientific writing. In everyday conversation, 'follicle' nearly always means hair follicle (sense 1).