thymus

[ thahy-muhs ]

/ ˈθaɪ məs /

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noun, plural thy·mus·es, thy·mi

[thahy-mahy]. /ˈθaɪ maɪ/. Anatomy.

a ductless, butterfly-shaped gland lying at the base of the neck, formed mostly of lymphatic tissue and aiding in the production of T cells of the immune system: after puberty, the lymphatic tissue gradually degenerates.

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Also called thymus gland .

Origin of thymus

1685–95; <New Latin <Greek thýmos warty excrescence, thymus

Words nearby thymus

thymidylic acid, thymine, thymocyte, thymol, thymosin, thymus, thymus gland, thymy, Thyone, thyratron, thyristor

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

How to use thymus in a sentence

Previous studies in rodents that cut their calories by nearly half resulted in better function of their thymus and immune T cells, as well as a drop in the molecules that promote inflammation.
First Controlled Human Trial Shows Cutting Calories Improves Health, Longevity|Shelly Fan|February 22, 2022|Singularity Hub
Without cutting calories, the rodents had less aging-associated inflammation and a more efficient thymus—an organ that makes immune cells—and metabolism compared to similarly-aged peers.
First Controlled Human Trial Shows Cutting Calories Improves Health, Longevity|Shelly Fan|February 22, 2022|Singularity Hub
Al’s early work demonstrated that the thymus plays a major role, and later studies in his lab found that the T cells’ ability to recognize the body’s own cells is acquired rather than genetically predetermined.
For this MIT couple, cancer research is the family business|Peter Dunn|October 27, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The pig’s thymus gland, which can help educate the immune system to recognize the kidney as part of the body, was also transplanted with the organ to improve its chances of acceptance, Montgomery said.
What does the first successful test of a pig-to-human kidney transplant mean?|Jonathan Lambert|October 22, 2021|Science News

The thymus gland attains a considerable development in the embryo and shrinks away to the merest vestige in the adult.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris
Owen says that the thymus appears in vertebrates with the establishment of the lung as the main or exclusive respiratory organ.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris
The enlargement or persistence of the thymus can be better recognised, and doctors now seldom fail to notice it.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
It is nearly always accompanied by a distinct hypertrophy of the thymus gland.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
The thymus gland, which lies near the heart and is often called the heart sweetbread, is the best one.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3|Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

British Dictionary definitions for thymus

thymus

/ (ˈθaɪməs) /

noun plural -muses or -mi (-maɪ)

a glandular organ of vertebrates, consisting in man of two lobes situated below the thyroid. In early life it produces lymphocytes and is thought to influence certain immunological responses. It atrophies with age and is almost nonexistent in the adult

Word Origin for thymus

C17: from New Latin, from Greek thumos sweetbread

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 thymus

thymus

[ thī′məs ]

An organ of the lymphatic system located behind the upper sternum (breastbone). T cells (T lymphocytes) develop and mature in the thymus before entering the circulation. In humans, the thymus stops growing in early childhood and gradually shrinks in size through adulthood, resulting in a gradual decline in immune system function.

thymus

Origin of thymus

Words nearby thymus

Words related to thymus

How to use thymus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for thymus

Word Origin for thymus

Scientific definitions for thymus