T cell

American

noun

Immunology.

any of several closely related lymphocytes, developed in the thymus, that circulate in the blood and lymph and orchestrate the immune system's response to infected or malignant cells, either by lymphokine secretions or by direct contact: helper T cells recognize foreign antigen on the surfaces of other cells, then they stimulate B cells to produce antibody and signal killer T cells to destroy the antigen-displaying cells; subsequently suppressor T cells return the immune system to normal by inactivating the B cells and killer T cells.

T-cell British

noun

another name for T-lymphocyte

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

T cell Scientific

Any of the lymphocytes that develop in the thymus gland and that act in the immune system by binding antigens to receptors on the surface of their cells in what is called the cell-mediated immune response. T cells are also involved in the regulation of the function of B cells.
Also called T lymphocyte
See more at cell-mediated immune response Compare B cell

T-cell Cultural

Key to the immune system, these cells originate in the bone marrow but mature in the thymus (the t stands for thymus). T-cells attack other body cells that are infected by some bacteria, a virus, or another pathogen. (Compare B-cell.)

Discover More

T-cell counts are used as a diagnostic test to indicate the strength of the immune system in AIDS patients.

The HIV/AIDS virus destroys a type of T-cell, leading to the syndrome characterized by a defective immune system.

Etymology

Origin of T cell

1965–70; T(hymus-derived)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This strategy also makes it possible to activate T cells in ways that other gene editing approaches cannot.

From Science Daily

Most existing vaccines primarily stimulate the adaptive immune system, which produces antibodies and specialized T cells that target specific pathogens and retain memory for years.

From Science Daily

It reduced tumor growth, prolonged survival in animals and generated greater numbers of highly active cancer killing T cells.

From Science Daily

Researchers led by Tajie Harris, PhD, set out to understand how the immune system responds when Toxoplasma invades CD8+ T cells, which are specialized immune cells responsible for killing infected cells.

From Science Daily

T cells and B cells are known for retaining long-term immune memory, while monocytes and natural killer cells respond quickly to threats.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023