rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryfibrilTiny fiber
noun

fibril

FYE-brul/ˈfaɪbrəl/

A tiny threadlike fiber within tissue or material.

Under the microscope, a single fibril looks like a tiny thread.

Magnified threadlike microfibers beside a single larger fiber for scale.
Etymology
fibrilLatinlittle fiber, filament

Fibrilla was a diminutive of fibra, literally a “little fiber.” That emphasis on smallness remains central to fibril, including its use for threadlike molecular structures.

In context

IqrawithFun16:10
this whole tropo collagen molecule is now called fibril and many fibrils that accumulate and form collagen this is now collagen fiber
Collagen fibers - Introduction - Synthesis - Types & location - Disease

More examples

  • Collagen fibrils help give tendons their strength.
  • Tiny cellulose fibrils project from the torn paper fibers.
  • Several fibrils form a bundle within the larger fiber.

Forms

fibril · fibrils

fibrillar adjective — Relating to or composed of fibrils.

Similar words

fiber
A broader term for a slender strand, not necessarily tiny.
filament
Emphasizes threadlike shape without necessarily implying a fiber's smaller component.