lymphocyte

[lim-fuh-sahyt] /ˈlɪm fəˌsaɪt/
noun, Anatomy
1.
a type of white blood cell having a large, spherical nucleus surrounded by a thin layer of nongranular cytoplasm.
Compare B cell, T cell.
Origin
1885-90; lympho- + -cyte
Related forms
lymphocytic
[lim-fuh-sit-ik] /ˌlɪm fəˈsɪt ɪk/ (Show IPA), adjective
Examples from the web for lymphocyte
  • Research suggests that the virus activates some pathway within the lymphocyte cell that leads to cell proliferation.
British Dictionary definitions for lymphocyte

lymphocyte

/ˈlɪmfəʊˌsaɪt/
noun
1.
a type of white blood cell formed in lymphoid tissue See also B-lymphocyte, T-lymphocyte
Derived Forms
lymphocytic (ˌlɪmfəʊˈsɪtɪk) adjective
Word Origin and History for lymphocyte
n.

cell found in the lymph, 1890, from Latin lympho- (see lymph) + -cyte (see cyto-).

lymphocyte in Medicine

lymphocyte lym·pho·cyte (lĭm'fə-sīt')
n.
Any of the nearly colorless cells formed in lymphoid tissue, as in the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, and tonsils, constituting between 22 and 28 percent of all white blood cells in the blood of a normal adult human. They function in the development of immunity and include two specific types, B cells and T cells.

lym'pho·cyt'ic (-sĭt'ĭk) adj.
lymphocyte in Science
lymphocyte
  (lĭm'fə-sīt')   
Any of various white blood cells, including B cells and T cells, that function in the body's immune system by recognizing and deactivating specific foreign substances called antigens. B cells act by stimulating the production of antibodies. T cells contain receptors on their cell surfaces that are capable of recognizing and binding to specific antigens. Lymphocytes are found in the lymph nodes and spleen and circulate continuously in the blood and lymph.