killer cell

noun

Definition of killer cell

: a lymphocyte (such as a killer T cell or a natural killer cell) with cytotoxic activity

Examples of killer cell in a Sentence

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The checkpoint inhibitors allow powerful immune cells to recognize and hone in on cancer cells and co-opt killer cells to destroy them. — Alice Park, Time, "There's More Good News About Immune Therapies for Cancer," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'killer cell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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killer instinct

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The first known use of killer cell was in 1972

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killer cell

noun

Medical Definition of killer cell

: a lymphocyte (as a cytotoxic T cell or a natural killer cell) with cytotoxic activity

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