Anatomy, Physiology. a clear yellowish, slightly alkaline, coagulable fluid, containing white blood cells in a liquid resembling blood plasma, that is derived from the tissues of the body and conveyed to the bloodstream by the lymphatic vessels.
Archaic. the sap of a plant.
Archaic. a stream or spring of clear, pure water.
What does lymph- mean? Lymph- is a combining form used like a prefix indicating lymph, an important liquid in the body that contains white blood cells and is conveyed to the bloodstream through lymphatic vessels. Lymph- is used in many medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology. Lymph- comes from the Latin lympha, meaning “water.” This Latin root has been connected to the Greek word nýmphē, source of nymph in English. Discover more at our entry for nymph. Lymph- is a variant of lympho-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use lympho- article. Closely related to lymph- and lympho- is lymphangi-, a combining form meaning “lymph vessel” and connected to the combining form angio-.
1620–30; < Latin lympha water (earlier *limpa; see limpid); pseudo-Greek form, by association with nympha < Greek nýmphē nymph
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is also regularly offered to people with early-stage breast cancer that has spread to the nearby lymph nodes.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
The stage 4 melanoma presented as a lump in her lymph nodes, under her arm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
The RCS team revealed cancers that were missed, mastectomies that may not have been necessary, incidents of chemotherapy not being offered and surgery undertaken to remove lymph nodes when not clinically necessary.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
Coulier, 66, first revealed his cancer battle in November 2024, telling People and NBC’s “Today” that his lymphoma diagnosis came after he contracted an upper respiratory infection that caused major swelling in his lymph nodes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026
“What I have is called Hodgkin’s Disease. It’s a form of cancer that attacks the lymph nodes. Here.”
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
The doctor smiled, but his eyes in their little lymph- lined hammocks did not smile.
From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck
The blood, lymphs, and all other fluids, the fats, bone, flesh, and all other solids, are of themselves void of sensation.
From Evolution, Old & New Or, the Theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck, as compared with that of Charles Darwin by Butler, Samuel
Elixirs of life, lymphs, and other specifics have their short run, and then join the endless procession to the rear.
From The Arena Volume 4, No. 23, October, 1891 by Flower, B. O. (Benjamin Orange)
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.
