Definition

A type of cell or organism that easily takes up acid stains, often used in biological contexts to identify certain types of cells.

Example

The acidophil cells in the blood are easily identified under a microscope due to their affinity for acid stains.

Conversation

I was reading about blood cells, and I came across the term acidophil.

Oh, I've heard of that! It's related to eosinophils, right?

Exactly! I found it interesting how it stains with acid dyes.

Yeah, it’s fascinating how different cells have unique properties.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Acidophil is formed from "acido-" (from Latin "acidus", meaning sour or acid) and "-phil" (from Greek "philos", meaning loving or fond of). The word describes organisms that thrive in acidic environments, literally meaning 'acid-loving.'

Memory Tip

Think of 'acid' as something sour and 'phil' as loving — so acidophil refers to something that loves acidic conditions.

Visually Confused Words