a glandular organ of vertebrates, consisting in humans of two lobes situated below the thyroid. In early life it produces lymphocytes and is thought to influence certain immunological responses. It atrophies with age and is almost nonexistent in the adult
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
thy•mus /ˈθaɪməs/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -mus•es, -mi /-maɪ/USA pronunciation .
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Anatomya butterfly-shaped gland lying at the base of the neck that aids in the production of T cells.
thy•mus
(thī′məs),USA pronunciation n., pl. -mus•es, -mi (-mī).USA pronunciation [Anat.]
- Anatomya ductless, butterfly-shaped gland lying at the base of the neck, formed mostly of lymphatic tissue and aiding in the production of T cells of the immune system: after puberty, the lymphatic tissue gradually degenerates. Also called thy′mus gland′.
- Greek thýmos warty excrescence, thymus
- Neo-Latin
- 1685–95
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'thymus' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
T cell
- T-lymphocyte
- aminocitric acid
- immune system
- lymphatic system
- lymphatic tissue
- lymphoid
- mother-of-thyme
- sweetbread
- thyme
- thymectomy
- thymic
- thymine
- thymocyte
- thymosin