SINCE 1828
thymus
noun
thy·mus
| \ ˈthī-məs
\
\
variants:
or thymus gland
plural thymuses
also thymi\ ˈthī-ˌmī
\
\
Definition of thymus
: 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
Examples of thymus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Opponents, however, say that newer methods, including the use of thymus tissue from newborn infants who undergo heart surgeries, appear promising. — oregonlive.com, "Donald Trump ends federal funding of research using fetal tissue," 6 June 2019 Opponents, however, say that newer methods, including the use of thymus tissue from newborn infants who undergo heart surgeries, appear promising. — oregonlive.com, "Donald Trump ends federal funding of research using fetal tissue," 6 June 2019 Opponents, however, say that newer methods, including the use of thymus tissue from newborn infants who undergo heart surgeries, appear promising. — oregonlive.com, "Donald Trump ends federal funding of research using fetal tissue," 6 June 2019 Opponents, however, say that newer methods, including the use of thymus tissue from newborn infants who undergo heart surgeries, appear promising. — Amy Goldstein, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump administration imposes new restrictions on fetal tissue research," 5 June 2019 Opponents, however, say that newer methods, including the use of thymus tissue from newborn infants who undergo heart surgeries, appear promising. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "New Trump administration rules sink UCSF research contract," 5 June 2019 Dria has been waiting over a year for a thymus transplant to regenerate her immune cells. — Julie Gallant, Ramona Sentinel, "Family stays by side of 4-year-old awaiting transplants," 12 June 2018 Even more critical is his need for a thymus transplant. — Peter Rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "A Mother's Day gift for a struggling baby: loving attention," 13 May 2018 In the older sedentary people, the output of new T cells from the thymus glands was low. — Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, "How Exercise Can Keep Aging Muscles and Immune Systems ‘Young’," 14 Mar. 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for thymus
thymus
noun
thy·mus
| \ ˈthī-məs
\
\
variants:
or thymus gland
plural thymuses
also thymi\ -ˌmī
\
\
Medical Definition of thymus
: 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
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