What it means
Describes cells that have merged into one mass with many nuclei. The word is met most in respiratory syncytial virusRES-pruh-tor-ee sin-SISH-ul VY-rusA common virus that infects the nose, throat and lungs, most often in babies and young children.Full entry (RSV), named because it makes infected cells in a lab culture fuse into such masses. The outer layer of the placenta is also a syncytium.
Related terms
respiratory syncytial virus
A common virus that infects the nose, throat and lungs, most often in babies and young children.