thymocyte

American

[thahy-muh-sahyt] / ˈθaɪ məˌsaɪt /

noun

Immunology.

a cell that develops in the thymus and is the precursor of T cells.

thymocyte British

/ ˈθaɪməsaɪt /

noun

a lymphocyte found in the thymus

"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

Etymology

Origin of thymocyte

First recorded in 1920–25; thym(us) + -o- + -cyte

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The B cell undergoes nearly all of its development in the red bone marrow, whereas the immature T cell, called a thymocyte, leaves the bone marrow and matures largely in the thymus gland.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023