piastrina
/pjasˈtri.na/feminine
The English word "platelet" translates to Italian as piastrina. Wiktionary also lists trombocito.
Meaning: particle found in the blood of mammals (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| piastrina | /pjasˈtri.na/ | feminine |
| trombocito | /trom.boˈt͡ʃi.to/ | masculine |
The term refers to the particle found in the blood of mammals.
Which one should you use?
piastrina is the most common term used in everyday medical contexts and general conversation, whereas trombocito is a more technical, scientific term used primarily in formal hematology and medical literature.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of the common feminine form piastrina is piastrine. The plural of the masculine technical form trombocito is trombociti.
Did you know?
- The word piastrina is a diminutive of piastra, which means 'plate' or 'slab'. Literally, a platelet is described in Italian as a 'little plate'.
- In Italian, the word piastra is used for everything from a kitchen griddle to a heating element and a license plate.
- Italian medical terminology often keeps both a Latin-based common word and a Greek-based scientific word for the same object, as seen with piastrina and trombocito.
Examples in context
- Amelia: Come ti senti dopo l'operazione? Marco: Non male, ma i miei medici mi hanno detto che le mie piastrine sono basse. Spero che si normalizzino presto.Amelia: How are you feeling after the surgery? Marco: Not bad, but my doctors told me that my platelet count is low. I hope it normalizes soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “platelet” translations and entries piastrina, trombocito, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piastrina, trombocito, CC BY-SA 4.0.
