thymus

noun

thy·​mus ˈthī-məs How to pronounce thymus (audio)
variants or thymus gland
plural thymuses also thymi ˈthī-ˌmī How to pronounce thymus (audio)
: a glandular structure of largely lymphoid tissue that functions especially in cell-mediated immunity by being the site where T cells develop, is present in the young of most vertebrates typically in the upper anterior chest or at the base of the neck, and gradually decreases in size and activity after puberty

Examples of thymus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Your thymus is a gland that produces T cells, which are very important to your immune system. Bill Gifford, Scientific American, 31 July 2023 The process of culturing the thymus clears any of the donor's mature immune cells, leaving a scaffold of a thymus for the recipient to develop their own immune cells through. Tasnim Ahmed, CNN, 10 Mar. 2022 Eight years ago, her 15-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the thymus, a small organ near the heart. Michael Phillis and Jim Salter, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2023 According to Turek, Duke University is the only place in the Western Hemisphere that does cultured thymus transplants, in which donor thymus cells are incubated and grown in a lab before being implanted in the recipient. Tasnim Ahmed, CNN, 10 Mar. 2022 The lymph system is part of the immune system, which is made up of lymph, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, the spleen, thymus, tonsils and bone marrow. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 7 June 2023 The thymus, a strawberry-size gland in the chest, produces a steady stream of T cell precursors in our youth. Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2013 Thymic hyperplasia is a condition in which the thymus gland — a small gland in the lymphatic system — is inflamed, according to Penn Medicine. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 8 May 2023 The thymus gland is a small organ that lies in the upper chest, under the breastbone, that makes white blood cells, which protect the body against infections. Angela Roberts, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thymus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek thymos warty excrescence, thymus

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thymus was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near thymus

Cite this Entry

“Thymus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thymus. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thymus

noun
thy·​mus ˈthī-məs How to pronounce thymus (audio)
plural thymuses also thymi -ˌmī How to pronounce thymus (audio)
: a gland that is found in the young of most vertebrates usually in the chest near the heart, that before and for a time after birth has very important effects on the production and development of T cells, and that becomes less active and gradually shrinks or disappears with age

Medical Definition

thymus

noun
thy·​mus ˈthī-məs How to pronounce thymus (audio)
variants or thymus gland
plural thymuses also thymi -ˌmī How to pronounce thymus (audio)
: a glandular structure of largely lymphoid tissue that functions in cell-mediated immunity by being the site where T cells develop, that is present in the young of most vertebrates typically in the upper anterior chest or at the base of the neck, that arises from the epithelium of one or more embryonic branchial clefts, and that gradually decreases in size and activity after puberty

More from Merriam-Webster on thymus

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