Also called B lymphocyte. a type of lymphocyte, developed in bone marrow, that circulates in the blood and lymph and, upon encountering a particular foreign antigen, differentiates into a clone of plasma cells that secrete a specific antibody and a clone of memory cells that make the antibody on subsequent encounters.
Also called beta cell. a cell in the islet of Langerhans that produces and secretes insulin.
Any of the lymphocytes that develop into plasma cells in the presence of a specific antigen. The plasma cells produce antibodies that attack or neutralize the antigen in what is called the humoral immune response. B cells mature in the bone marrow before being released into the blood.
Also called B lymphocyte
Compare T cell
1970–75; B cell ( def. 1 ) perhaps B(one-derived) ; B cell ( def. 2 ) B(ursa of Langerhans-derived)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These agents slow overactive B cell respiration and "calm down" B cells of MS patients, so that they don't release the same abnormal cytokine profile that drives abnormal pro-inflammatory myeloid cell and T cell responses.
From Science Daily ● May 16, 2024
B cell depleting medications are effective for reducing MS disease activity.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 4, 2024
In a 2022 Science paper, Schief and colleagues reported that 97% of the 36 people who received the vaccine developed the B cell antibody gene mutations needed to progress toward becoming broadly neutralizing.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 1, 2024
That would mean priming, shepherding, and polishing multiple B cell lineages.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 1, 2024
A cell whose resistance becomes greater as the battery power becomes greater, and vice versa, I call an "L B cell" signifying Like the Battery power.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 492, June 6, 1885 by Various
Strong results for a drug combination including Epkinly as a second-line treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma support confidence in its potential to move to the first line of therapy, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
It will be available to patients over the age of 26 whose B-cell ALL has not responded to treatment or has returned at several centres in England, including Cambridge, Newcastle, Sheffield, Plymouth and London.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026
The recipient, Mr Neander, a grandfather-of-three in his early 60s, had previously been diagnosed with a blood cancer known as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
From BBC ● May 6, 2024
In addition, the researchers found that different subtypes of B-cell lymphoma can be classified based on the protein profiles obtained from blood samples.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2024
Effective therapies for B-cell cancers wipe out both cancerous and noncancerous B cells, but patients still do well even without the immune system B cells that help fight infections.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 2, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
