Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A small glandular organ that is situated behind the top of the breastbone, consisting mainly of lymphatic tissue and serving as the site of T cell differentiation. The thymus increases gradually in size and activity until puberty, becoming vestigial thereafter.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A genus of labiate plants, belonging to the tribe Satureineæ and subtribe Menthoideæ; the thyme. It is characterized by axillary or spiked few-flowered verticillasters, a distinctly two-lipped, ten- to thir-teen-nerved calyx closed within by hairs, and a slightly two-lipped corolla with four perfect stamens. There are about 40, or as some class them 100 species, nearly all natives of the Mediterranean region, a few in the Canary Islands and Abyssinia, and one or two widely dispersed over the temperate and northern parts of Europe and Asia. They are small shrubby plants, with entire leaves small and nearly alike throughout, or in the spike changed into bracts, the flowers in separate axillary whorls or in loose or compact terminal spikes. The species are known in general as thyme. See also
mastic-herb , and cut understamen . - n. In anatomy, a fetal structure, vestigial in the adult, one of the so-called ductless glands, of no known function, situated inside the thorax, behind the breast-bone, near the root of the neck. The thymus of veal and lamb is called
sweetbread , and more fully throat or neck-sweet-bread, to distinguish it from the pancreas or stomach-sweetbread. - n. In pathology, same as acrothymion.
Wiktionary
- n. anatomy, immunology A ductless gland, consisting mainly of lymphatic tissue, located behind the top of the breastbone. It is most active during puberty, after which it shrinks in size. It plays an important role in the development of the immune system and produces lymphocytes.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, the thymus gland.
WordNet 3.0
- n. large genus of Old World mints: thyme
- n. a ductless glandular organ at the base of the neck that produces lymphocytes and aids in producing immunity; atrophies with age
Etymologies
- From the Modern Latin thymus, from the Ancient Greek θύμος (thumos, "warty excrescence”, (also, as used by Galen) “thymus gland"). (Wiktionary)
- New Latin, from Greek thumos, warty excrescence, thymus. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Occasionally in the past there were speculations as to the effect on adolescence, and the changes that took place at this time, of the thymus gland (from a Greek word of uncertain derivation).”
“There is one other thing that we want to do that is also required for rejuvenating the immune system, and that is to restore the size of a very important organ in the immune system called the thymus, which is - for whatever reason - something that shrinks throughout life and gets, even by the sort of age I am, down to 10 or”
“The tumour, which had started in an organ called the thymus gland in the chest cavity, was also crushing his heart and lungs and constricting the vital arteries supplying his body with blood.”
“I forgot about the sweetbreads dish, aka thymus gland, here served with eggplant dumplings and ricotta salata.”
“The thymus is a tiny organ located near our breastbone that is present in all mammals.”
“Now off in another part of the body, in a strange little organ called the thymus, T cells are going to school.”
“Not long ago, I had this sort of mixed reaction when I read that the country musician Naomi Judd, who may have contracted hepatitis C while working as a nurse more than ten years ago, has had some success with a compound called thymus extract.”
“Indeed, they are not of any use at all, except that the first becomes the Eustachian tube bringing the ear-passage into connection with the back of the mouth, and that the second and third have to do with the development of a curious organ called the thymus gland.”
The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4) A Plain Story Simply Told
“The last anatomical point which may give trouble in normal necks is the thymus, which is present in children below the age of two, and covers the lower end of the trachea just above the level of the sternum.”
“Confronting massive evil is daunting, sickening, spiritually exhausting and even enervates something called the thymus gland (under the breast bone).”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘thymus’.
-
adamogiovane's Words
older woman, younger man, age gap relationship, non-fiction, sensuality, relationship, life, sex, love, hugs, kisses, breast and 147 more...
-
What David Foster Wallace circled in ...
ablative, ablaut, abulia, acephalous, ACTH, adit, adumbrate, agrapha, ailanthus, aleatory, alfresco, algolagnia and 474 more...
-
What David Foster Wallace Circled in ...
http://www.slate.com/id/2250784/
ablative absolute, ablaut, abulia, acephalous, ACTH, adit, adumbrate, agrapha, aleatory, ailanthus, alfresco, algolagnia and 482 more...
-
That's Just Offal
Edible organ meats and leftover parts.
blood sausage, blood pudding, black pudding, scrapple, brawn, headcheese, drob, giblets, chitlins, chitlings, chitterlings, haggis and 55 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for thymus.
Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.