Meanings
plural natural killer cells
- immunologyAny cell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response as part of the innate immune system.
1984, Meir Kende, Joseph Gainer, Michael A. Chirigos (editors), Chemical Regulation of Immunity in Veterinary Medicine: Proceedings of a Symposium, A. R. Liss, page 138, Natural killer cell activity is currently an area of active interest in cellular immunology (Herberman 1981).
2 more examples
While such information doesn't assist us in deciding whether natural killer cells derive from a macrophage or T cell lineage, it does tell us that the mouse natural killer cell system is a thymus dependent system.
1982, Gustavo Cudkowicz, “Regulation of Natural Cytotoxic Activity”, in Sigurd J. Normann, Ernst Sorkin, editors, Macrophages and Natural Killer Cells, Plenum Press, page 767The effects of lead exposure of varying duration on natural killer cell and T-lymphocyte function were investigated in rats.
1999, Toxicological Profile for Lead, United States Department of Health and Human Services, page 173Synonyms: large granular lymphocyte, NK, NK cell
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny cell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response as part of the innate immune system.
Origin
The description "natural killer" refers to the fact that they do not require activation to kill cells missing MHC class I "self" markers.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Hungarian természetes ölősejt
- természetes ölősejtcell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response
Indonesian sel pembunuh alami
- sel pembunuh alamicell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response
Japanese ナチュラルキラー細胞
- ナチュラルキラー細胞 (nachuraru kirā saibō)cell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response
Turkish doğal katil hücre, doğal öldürücü hücre
- doğal katil hücrecell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response
- doğal öldürücü hücrecell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response
Cite this entry
natural killer cell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/natural%20killer%20cell
“natural killer cell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/natural%20killer%20cell. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “natural killer cell,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/natural%20killer%20cell.
Source: natural killer cell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.