T cell
noun
: any of several lymphocytes (such as a helper T cell) that differentiate in the thymus, possess highly specific cell-surface antigen receptors, and include some that control the initiation or suppression of cell-mediated and humoral immunity (as by the regulation of T and B cell maturation and proliferation) and others that lyse antigen-bearing cells : t lymphocyte
The immature lymphoid cell, in turn, can be processed into a B cell, which makes infection-fighting antibodies, or a T cell, which recognizes foreign tissue and virally infected cells and directs the activities of the rest of the immune system.—
Gina Kolata
Gina KolataT cells recognize antigen only in association with cell surface molecules encoded by the major histocompatibility complex …—Miranda Robertson
see helper t cell, killer t cell compare b cell
Miranda RobertsonExamples of T cell in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fortunately, immunity from past exposure, in the form of memory T cells, keeps most people from getting severely ill.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 16 July 2024
New research suggests that people with lupus have too much of a particular T cell that can cause damage in healthy cells and too little of a different type of T cell that can help with repair.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 July 2024
The patients in the study had a chemical imbalance that controlled how their T cells, a type of white blood cell that's part of the immune system, reacted to infection.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024
Patients develop T cell lymphomas after CAR-T therapy extremely rarely — less than 0.1% of the time, Rejeski said.
—Alia Sajani and Angus Chen, STAT, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for T cell 
Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 16 July 2024
New research suggests that people with lupus have too much of a particular T cell that can cause damage in healthy cells and too little of a different type of T cell that can help with repair.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 July 2024
The patients in the study had a chemical imbalance that controlled how their T cells, a type of white blood cell that's part of the immune system, reacted to infection.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024
Patients develop T cell lymphomas after CAR-T therapy extremely rarely — less than 0.1% of the time, Rejeski said.
—Alia Sajani and Angus Chen, STAT, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for T cell
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'T cell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near T cell
Cite this Entry
“T cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/T%20cell. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share