lymph

¹

[limf]

noun

1. 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.

2. Archaic.,  the sap of a plant.

3. Archaic.,  a stream or spring of clear, pure water.

lymph-

²

1. variant of lympho- before a vowel.

   lymphoma.

lymph

/ lɪmf /

noun

1. the almost colourless fluid, containing chiefly white blood cells, that is collected from the tissues of the body and transported in the lymphatic system

lymph

1. The clear fluid flowing through the lymphatic system that serves to bathe and nourish the tissues of the body. It is composed of blood plasma that has leaked out through the capillaries into the tissues.

lymph

1. A clear, colorless fluid that circulates through the lymphatic system. Lymph fills the tissue spaces of the body.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lymph¹

1620–30; < Latin lympha water (earlier *limpa; limpid ); pseudo-Greek form, by association with nympha < Greek nýmphē nymph

Word History and Origins

Origin of lymph¹

C17: from Latin lympha water, from earlier limpa influenced in form by Greek numphē nymph

Example Sentences

These included a mastectomy and lymph node procedure performed in 28 minutes, and an excision of benign thickened breast tissue in 10 minutes, "which the review team considered to have been unnecessary".

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Some activity was also detected in nearby lymph nodes.

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Although his cancer has not spread to distant body parts, it had spread to nearby lymph nodes.

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Bubonic plague is the most common type of plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, characterised by swollen lymph nodes called "buboes".

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Mpox can also cause a fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, tiredness and swollen lymph nodes.

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When To Use

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-.