T lymphocyte

T lymphocyte

n.

See T cell.

T cell

n.

any of several closely related lymphocytes, developed in the thymus, that circulate in the blood and lymph and regulate the immune system's response to infected or malignant cells. Also called T lymphocyte.

[1965–70; T(hymus-derived)]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

T lymphocyte - a small lymphocyte developed in the thymus; it orchestrates the immune system's response to infected or malignant cells T cell lymph cell, lymphocyte - an agranulocytic leukocyte that normally makes up a quarter of the white blood cell count but increases in the presence of infection CD4 cell, CD4 T cell, helper cell, helper T cell - T cell with CD4 receptor that recognizes antigens on the surface of a virus-infected cell and secretes lymphokines that stimulate B cells and killer T cells; helper T cells are infected and killed by the AIDS virus CD8 cell, CD8 T cell, cytotoxic T cell, killer cell, killer T cell - T cell with CD8 receptor that recognizes antigens on the surface of a virus-infected cell and binds to the infected cell and kill it