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.
The stage 4 melanoma presented as a lump in her lymph nodes, under her arm.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
“I’ve beaten melanoma. I’ve beaten lymphoma. I’ve beaten vocal cord cancer. I’ve beaten lymph node cancer. I’m four for four and I’m fully confident I’m going to make it five for five.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
When you roll or glide these products across the skin, you're helping stagnant fluid move away from the face and towards the lymph nodes, where it can drain naturally.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Spider-parasitic mites feed on lymph, a fluid that circulates through the bodies of certain arthropods.
From Science Daily • Jan. 28, 2026
All the blood and lymph had been drained out of him by an enormous debauch of work, leaving only a frail structure of nerves, bones, and skin.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
