granule

[gran-yool] /ˈgræn yul/
noun
1.
a little grain.
2.
a small particle; pellet.
3.
a corpuscle; sporule.
Origin
1645-55; < Late Latin grānulum small grain. See grain, -ule
Can be confused
boulder, cobblestone, granule, pebble, rock, stone.
Examples from the web for granule
  • The granule is characterised by its internal acidity, a high electron density and a specialised surrounding membrane.
  • In modern birds pigments in feathers come in small granules, and the granule for each color has a different shape.
British Dictionary definitions for granule

granule

/ˈɡrænjuːl/
noun
1.
a small grain
2.
(geology) a single rock fragment in gravel, smaller than a pebble but larger than a sand grain
3.
(astronomy) another name for granulation (sense 5)
Word Origin
C17: from Late Latin grānulum a small grain
Word Origin and History for granule
n.

1650s, from French granule or directly from Late Latin granulum "small grain," diminutive of Latin granum "grain" (see corn (n.1)).

granule in Medicine

granule gran·ule (grān'yōōl)
n.

  1. A small grain or pellet; a particle.

  2. A cellular or cytoplasmic particle, especially one that stains readily.

  3. A very small pill, usually coated with gelatin or sugar.

granule in Science
granule
  (grān'yl)   

  1. A rock or mineral fragment larger than a sand grain and smaller than a pebble. Granules have a diameter between 2 and 4 mm (0.08 and 0.16 in) and are often rounded.

  2. Any of the small, transient convective cells within the Sun's photosphere where hot gases rise and quickly dissipate. Granules are generally between a few hundred and 1,500 km in width. They completely cover the Sun's surface, giving it its characteristic grainy or stippled look, and form and break up within a matter of minutes.

  3. An aggregate of enclosed grainy matter found in a cell. Granulocytes, mast cells and other cells contain granules in their cytoplasm, which differ in size and can often be identified by a characteristic laboratory stain based on their composition. Granules produce and store biologically active substances, the release of which is called degranulation. The granules of granulocytes contain mostly multiple enzymes and other proteins; those of mast cells contain histamine and other chemical mediators.