variants:
or thymus gland
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
Test Your Vocabulary
Commonly Confused Words Quiz
-
- I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card.

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share thymus
Time Traveler for thymus
The first known use of thymus was in 1578
See more words from the same year