natural killer cell
noun
: a large granular lymphocyte capable especially of destroying tumor cells or virally-infected cells without prior exposure to the target cell and without having it presented with or marked by a histocompatibility antigen
called also NK cell
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Evergreen trees are great producers of phytoncide, a chemical that increases natural killer cell activity, Hall said. 
Megan Marples, CNN, 8 Dec. 2021 Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN): Formerly called natural killer cell leukemia/lymphoma, per the LLS, BPDCN is a rare combination of leukemia and lymphoma. Barbara Brody, Health.com, 30 Sep. 2021 That's because touching increases the natural killer cells that help us fight off illnesses, said Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. Lz Granderson, ajc, 16 Apr. 2020 Specifically, exercise helps to recruit highly specialized immune cells—such as natural killer cells and T cells—find pathogens (like viruses) and wipe them out. Mallory Creveling, Health.com, 16 Apr. 2020 March 26, 2020 That’s because touching increases the natural killer cells that help us fight off illnesses, said Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2020 The innate immune system, composed of white blood cells such as macrophages, natural killer cells and neutrophils, was supposed to have no such memory. Jop De Vrieze, Science | AAAS, 23 Mar. 2020 An important immunotherapeutic approach uses natural killer cells. Robert J. Hariri, WSJ, 13 Mar. 2020 From Killers to Builders If macrophages are the greatest multitaskers in the immune system, then natural killer cells are the most poorly named. Quanta Magazine, 11 Feb. 2020 See More
Megan Marples, CNN, 8 Dec. 2021 Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN): Formerly called natural killer cell leukemia/lymphoma, per the LLS, BPDCN is a rare combination of leukemia and lymphoma. Barbara Brody, Health.com, 30 Sep. 2021 That's because touching increases the natural killer cells that help us fight off illnesses, said Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. Lz Granderson, ajc, 16 Apr. 2020 Specifically, exercise helps to recruit highly specialized immune cells—such as natural killer cells and T cells—find pathogens (like viruses) and wipe them out. Mallory Creveling, Health.com, 16 Apr. 2020 March 26, 2020 That’s because touching increases the natural killer cells that help us fight off illnesses, said Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2020 The innate immune system, composed of white blood cells such as macrophages, natural killer cells and neutrophils, was supposed to have no such memory. Jop De Vrieze, Science | AAAS, 23 Mar. 2020 An important immunotherapeutic approach uses natural killer cells. Robert J. Hariri, WSJ, 13 Mar. 2020 From Killers to Builders If macrophages are the greatest multitaskers in the immune system, then natural killer cells are the most poorly named. Quanta Magazine, 11 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
1975, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
natural killer cell
noun
: a large granular lymphocyte capable especially of destroying tumor cells or virally infected cells without prior exposure to the target cell and without having it presented with or marked by a histocompatibility antigen
called also NK cell