lymphocyte

[ lim-fuh-sahyt ]

/ ˈlɪm fəˌsaɪt /

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noun Anatomy.

a type of white blood cell having a large, spherical nucleus surrounded by a thin layer of nongranular cytoplasm.

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Compare B cell, T cell.

Origin of lymphocyte

First recorded in 1885–90; lympho- + -cyte

OTHER WORDS FROM lymphocyte

lym·pho·cyt·ic

[lim-fuh-sit-ik], /ˌlɪm fəˈsɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby lymphocyte

lymph gland, lymph node, lymph nodes, lympho-, lymphoblast, lymphocyte, lymphocytopenia, lymphocytosis, lymphogranuloma, lymphogranulomatosis, lymphography

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lymphocyte in a sentence

What boosters do is stimulate these memory lymphocytes to quickly expand in numbers and to produce even more effective defenders.
Why You'll Need to Get COVID-19 Boosters Again and Again|Albert Ko|July 19, 2022|Time
The primary series can be thought of as the high school for lymphocytes, where naïve cells receive basic instructions to learn about the pathogen.
Why You'll Need to Get COVID-19 Boosters Again and Again|Albert Ko|July 19, 2022|Time
So, first you start with one cell type like fully differentiated lymphocytes and then you move on.
Research into AIDS cure advancing but remains in ‘very early days’|Lou Chibbaro Jr.|July 1, 2021|Washington Blade
ADA’s job is to convert a molecule that’s harmful to lymphocytes into a non-harmful version of itself.
How One Round of Gene Therapy Fixed 48 Kids’ Immune Systems|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|May 13, 2021|Singularity Hub

Lymphocytes make antibodies and attack infected cells, so they’re pretty crucial to the immune system.
How One Round of Gene Therapy Fixed 48 Kids’ Immune Systems|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|May 13, 2021|Singularity Hub
When large forms of the lymphocyte are present, the distinction is often difficult or impossible.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
A marked lymphocyte leukocytosis occurs in pertussis, and is of value in diagnosis.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Slight lymphocyte leukocytosis occurs in many other pathologic conditions, but is of little significance.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The macrocyte is believed by many to represent a further stage in the development of the lymphocyte.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 1|Various

British Dictionary definitions for lymphocyte

lymphocyte

/ (ˈlɪmfəʊˌsaɪt) /

noun

a type of white blood cell formed in lymphoid tissueSee also B-lymphocyte, T-lymphocyte

Derived forms of lymphocyte

lymphocytic (ˌlɪmfəʊˈsɪtɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for lymphocyte

lymphocyte

[ lĭm′fə-sīt′ ]

Any of various white blood cells, including B cells and T cells, that function in the body's immune system by recognizing and deactivating specific foreign substances called antigens. B cells act by stimulating the production of antibodies. T cells contain receptors on their cell surfaces that are capable of recognizing and binding to specific antigens. Lymphocytes are found in the lymph nodes and spleen and circulate continuously in the blood and lymph.