thymus
noun
thy·mus ˈthī-məs 
variants or thymus gland
plural thymuses also thymi ˈthī-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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Easton’s other condition prevented his thymus from functioning properly. 
NBC News, 8 Mar. 2022 But Easton’s thymus didn’t produce the very cells that would reject a transplanted organ. NBC News, 8 Mar. 2022 These are the thymus glands or pancreas of the animal — prized by many chefs for their mildness and, yes, sweetness. Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 16 Sep. 2021 Sometimes lymphomas start in the thymus gland, another part of your immune system that's located in the chest. Barbara Brody, Health.com, 13 Sep. 2021 The thymus is one place where such cleverness leaves its trace. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 The thymus is one place where such cleverness leaves its trace. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 The thymus is one place where such cleverness leaves its trace. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 He was intubated for 10 days and underwent a battery of tests before doctors eventually found a fist-sized tumor on his thymus gland that had triggered his immune system, according to his parents, Todd and Sue Lang. S. Wayne Carter Jr., baltimoresun.com, 25 May 2021 See More
NBC News, 8 Mar. 2022 But Easton’s thymus didn’t produce the very cells that would reject a transplanted organ. NBC News, 8 Mar. 2022 These are the thymus glands or pancreas of the animal — prized by many chefs for their mildness and, yes, sweetness. Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 16 Sep. 2021 Sometimes lymphomas start in the thymus gland, another part of your immune system that's located in the chest. Barbara Brody, Health.com, 13 Sep. 2021 The thymus is one place where such cleverness leaves its trace. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 The thymus is one place where such cleverness leaves its trace. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 The thymus is one place where such cleverness leaves its trace. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 He was intubated for 10 days and underwent a battery of tests before doctors eventually found a fist-sized tumor on his thymus gland that had triggered his immune system, according to his parents, Todd and Sue Lang. S. Wayne Carter Jr., baltimoresun.com, 25 May 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek thymos warty excrescence, thymus
First Known Use
1578, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing thymus
Medical Definition
thymus
noun
thy·mus ˈthī-məs
variants or thymus gland
plural thymuses also thymi -ˌmī
: 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