follicle
UK[ˈfɒlɪk(ə)l]US[ˈfɑːlɪk(ə)l]
n
a small cavity or sac in the body, especially one from which a hair grows.
n
a small gland, cavity, or sac in a plant or animal.
Morpheme Breakdown
foll
icle
foll
bag
icle
small thing
Etymology
the word 'follicle' originates from the latin 'folliculus', a diminutive of 'follis', which meant 'bellows' or 'bag'. this root, 'follis', is thought to derive from a proto-indo-european base meaning 'to blow, to inflate', conceptually linking to something that is swollen or bag-like. the diminutive suffix '-iculus' transforms the meaning to 'a small bag or sac'. this literal sense was adopted into anatomical terminology in the 17th century to describe various small sac-like structures in plants and animals, most notably the tiny sac in the skin from which a hair grows, perfectly capturing the original image of a miniature container.
Analysis
Structure: foll (bag) + icle (small thing)
foll (from latin 'follis', meaning 'bellows, bag, sack'); icle (a diminutive suffix from latin '-iculus', indicating a small version of something).
Examples
each hair on the human body grows from a tiny follicle in the skin.
the ultrasound revealed a cyst developing in the ovarian follicle.
in botany, a follicle is a type of dry fruit that splits open along one seam.