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cyst

Pronunciation: (sist), [key]
—n.
1. Pathol.a closed, bladderlike sac formed in animal tissues, containing fluid or semifluid matter.
2. a bladder, sac, or vesicle.
3. Bot., Mycol.
a. a sporelike cell with a resistant, protective wall.
b. a cell or cavity enclosing reproductive bodies.
4. Zool.
a. a sac, usually spherical, surrounding an animal that has passed into a dormant condition.
b. such a sac plus the contained animal.
c. a capsule or resistant covering.