phagosome

/ˈfæɡəˌsoʊm/
noun
  1. A membrane-bound compartment inside a cell that engulfs and digests foreign particles, such as bacteria or dead cell parts.
    • Scientists observed how the phagosome fused with a lysosome to break down the captured material.
    • The white blood cell formed a phagosome around the invading bacteria.
    • In the immune system, a phagosome helps destroy pathogens that enter the body.