phagocytize
/ˈfæɡəˌsaɪtaɪz/
verb
- To engulf and destroy (a foreign particle, bacterium, or dead cell) by a phagocyte.
- The immune system can phagocytize millions of pathogens every day.
- White blood cells phagocytize bacteria to prevent infection from spreading.
- Under the microscope, you can watch the cell phagocytize a tiny bead.