n.
Pronunciation: ' sen-tr ē - ˌ ō l
Function: noun
Etymology: German Zentriol, from Zentrum center
Date: circa 1896
: one of a pair of cellular organelles that occur especially in animals, are adjacent to the nucleus, function in the formation of the spindle apparatus during cell division, and consist of a cylinder with nine microtubules arranged peripherally in a circle ― see CELL illustration