thymus

[thahy-muhs]

noun

Anatomy.

plural

thymuses, thymi 

1. 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.

thymus

/ ˈθaɪməs /

noun

1. 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

thymus

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thymus¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of thymus¹

C17: from New Latin, from Greek thumos sweetbread