mīˈsel, mə̇ˈ- noun
also mi·cel·la -elə ; or mi·cell -el
( plural micelles -lz ; also micel·lae -ˌlē ; or micells )
Etymology: New Latin micella, from Latin mica crumb + -ella
: a unit of structure built up from polymeric molecules or ions: as
a. : an ordered region in a natural or synthetic fiber (as of cellulose, silk, or viscose rayon) — compare crystallite 2, fibril
b. : a highly associated particle of a colloidal solution
colloidal micelles of soaps and detergents — J.W.McBain
c. : an organic colloidal particle ranging in size from one micron to one millimicron and found in coal and some shales