B cell

noun

: any of the lymphocytes that have antigen-binding antibody molecules on the surface, that comprise the antibody-secreting plasma cells when mature, and that in mammals differentiate in the bone marrow : b lymphocyte
The glycoproteins produced by B cells, called antibodies or immunoglobulins, recognize and bind free antigens and are responsible for humoral immunity …Haruo Saito et al.
helper T cells that induce the proliferation of the antibody-producing B cells.N. A. Mitchison
… patients have no mature B cells circulating in the bloodstream and no antibodies to fight off infections.Jean Marx
compare t cell

Examples of B cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These B cells produce antibodies that can recognize a pathogen the body has previously been exposed to, and that gives you a better chance of fighting off dangerous viruses. Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 June 2025 More than 20 years ago, scientists learned to target those rogue B cells with monoclonal antibodies, bulky proteins made in the lab, which bind to B cells and force their destruction. Byjennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 14 Nov. 2024 In fact, those who received the dual-adjuvant vaccine produced more than twice as many unique B cells than those mice who received a single-adjuvant vaccine. Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025 Back in 2022, researchers at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany showed that administering CAR T-cell therapy to five people with severe lupus could completely remove the aberrant B cells, sending all of the patients into remission. Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for B cell

Word History

Etymology

B probably from bursa-derived (produced by the bursa of Fabricius)

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of B cell was in 1962

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“B cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/B%20cell. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

B cell

noun
ˈbē-ˌsel
: any of the lymphocytes that produce antigen-binding antibodies and that arise and mature in the bone marrow compare t cell

Medical Definition

B cell

noun
: any of the lymphocytes that have antigen-binding antibody molecules on the surface, that comprise the antibody-secreting plasma cells when mature, and that in mammals differentiate in the bone marrow

called also B lymphocyte

compare t cell

More from Merriam-Webster on B cell

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