THYMUS (thymi)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: thymi   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Thymus mean? 

• THYMUS (noun)
  The noun THYMUS has 2 senses:

1. large genus of Old World mints: thyme

2. a ductless glandular organ at the base of the neck that produces lymphocytes and aids in producing immunity; atrophies with age

  Familiarity information: THYMUS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• THYMUS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Large genus of Old World mints: thyme

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

genus Thymus; Thymus

Hypernyms ("Thymus" is a kind of...):

asterid dicot genus (genus of more or less advanced dicotyledonous herbs and some trees and shrubs)

Meronyms (members of "Thymus"):

thyme (any of various mints of the genus Thymus)

Holonyms ("Thymus" is a member of...):

family Labiatae; family Lamiaceae; Labiatae; Lamiaceae; mint family (a large family of aromatic herbs and shrubs having flowers resembling the lips of a mouth and four-lobed ovaries yielding four one-seeded nutlets and including mint; thyme; sage; rosemary)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A ductless glandular organ at the base of the neck that produces lymphocytes and aids in producing immunity; atrophies with age

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

thymus; thymus gland

Hypernyms ("thymus" is a kind of...):

ductless gland; endocrine; endocrine gland (any of the glands of the endocrine system that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream)

Holonyms ("thymus" is a part of...):

immune system (a system (including the thymus and bone marrow and lymphoid tissues) that protects the body from foreign substances and pathogenic organisms by producing the immune response)

cervix; neck (the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body)

 Context examples 

This gene is involved in several processes such as T cell development in the thymus and mature T cell regulation.

(CCL17 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

A thymoma that arises in the cervical region and is not connected with the thymus gland.

(Ectopic Cervical Thymoma, NCI Thesaurus)

For T-lymphocytes this occurs in the thymus and ensures that mature T-lymphocytes are self tolerant.

(Clonal Regression, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A lymphocyte found in the thymus.

(Common Thymocyte, NCI Thesaurus)

A carcinoid tumor that arises from the lung, thymus, esophagus, stomach, or duodenum.

(Foregut Carcinoid Tumor, NCI Thesaurus)

Aberrant expression of this gene is associated with thymus and thyroid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and various leukemias.

(HEMGN wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

It is estimated 90% of immature lymphocytes die in the thymus and bone marrow.

(Immature Lymphocyte, NCI Thesaurus)

A benign neoplasm of the thymus, originating from epithelial thymus cells.

(Benign Thymoma, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

These cells mature in the thymus.

(Immature Peripheral Alpha/Beta Cell of Cytotoxic Type, NCI Thesaurus)

A multicystic lesion that arises from the epithelial component of the thymus gland.

(Multilocular Thymic Cyst, NCI Thesaurus)