Thymocyte
/ˈθaɪ.mə.saɪt/noun
An immature T cell that develops in the thymus.
Did you know?The word is built from Greek roots meaning “thyme” and “cell,” but in biology the thymus got its name because ancient anatomists thought the gland looked like the herb—or a tuft of smoke from it.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
θύμος (thýmos)
“Thyme, the aromatic herb; later also a name associated with the thymus gland because of resemblance in shape or smell-related associations.”
New Latin
Latin
thymus
“Thymus gland, a lymphoid organ in the upper chest.”
19th Century
English
thymocyte
“A cell of the thymus, especially an immature T lymphocyte developing there.”
Modern English
English
thymocyte
“An immature T cell in the thymus.”