phagocyte (n.)

"white blood cell," regarded as an organism capable of devouring what it meets, 1884, from German phagocyten (plural), coined in German in 1884 by Dr. Elias Metchnikoff (1845-1916) from Greek phago- "eating, devouring" (from PIE root *bhag- "to share out, apportion; to get a share") + -cyte "cell." Related: Phagocytic.