Definition of thymus
thymuses
alsothymi
play \-ˌmī\: a glandular structure of largely lymphoid tissue that functions especially in cell-mediated immunity by being the site where T cells develop, is present in the young of most vertebrates typically in the upper anterior chest or at the base of the neck, and gradually decreases in size and activity after puberty
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Recent Examples of thymus from the Web
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So did the thymus glands, better known as sweetbreads.
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When Heilmann's youngest daughter was 10 days old, Heilmann, 42, was diagnosed with thymoma, a disease in which cancer cells form on the outside surface of the thymus gland.
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GHRH is normally produced in the brain, but Hanley was essentially turning a pencil-eraser-size part of his thigh into a gland that made the molecule, which stimulates the heart, the kidneys, and the thymus.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thymus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of thymus
New Latin, from Greek thymos warty excrescence, thymus
Medical Dictionary
thymus
playthymus gland
Medical Definition of thymus
thymuses
alsothymi
\-ˌmī\play: a glandular structure of largely lymphoid tissue that functions in cell-mediated immunity by being the site where T cells develop, that is present in the young of most vertebrates typically in the upper anterior chest or at the base of the neck, that arises from the epithelium of one or more embryonic branchial clefts, and that gradually decreases in size and activity after puberty
Learn More about thymus
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See words that rhyme with thymus Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thymus
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