Meanings
plural thymuses · plural thymi
- abbreviationellipsisanatomyEllipsis of thymus gland (“A ductless gland, consisting mainly of lymphatic tissue, located behind the top of the breastbone. It is most active during puberty, after which it shrinks in size. It plays an important role in the development of the immune system and produces lymphocytes.”).
For a very long time the role of the thymus in the body was a complete mystery.
2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 234
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna ductless glandular organ at the base of the neck that produces lymphocytes and aids in producing immunity; atrophies with age
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekθύμος“warty excrescence, (also, as used by Galen) thymus gland”
- New Latinthymus
- Englishthymus
From New Latin thymus, from Ancient Greek θύμος (thúmos, “warty excrescence, (also, as used by Galen) thymus gland”).
More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic غُدَّة زَعْتَرِيَّة, غُدَّة صَعْتَرِيَّة
- غُدَّة زَعْتَرِيَّة (ḡudda zaʕtariyya)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
- غُدَّة صَعْتَرِيَّة (ḡudda ṣaʕtariyya)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
Catalan tim, timus
- timductless gland located behind the breastbone
- timusductless gland located behind the breastbone
Chinese Mandarin 胸腺
- 胸腺 (xiōngxiàn)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
Czech brzlík
- brzlíkductless gland located behind the breastbone
Dutch thymus, zwezerik
- thymusductless gland located behind the breastbone
- zwezerikductless gland located behind the breastbone
Finnish kateenkorva
- kateenkorvaductless gland located behind the breastbone
French thymus
- thymusductless gland located behind the breastbone
German Thymus, Bries
- Thymusductless gland located behind the breastbone
- Briesductless gland located behind the breastbone
Greek θύμος
- θύμος (thýmos)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
Hungarian csecsemőmirigy
- csecsemőmirigyductless gland located behind the breastbone
Irish faireog thímis, tímeas
- faireog thímisductless gland located behind the breastbone
- tímeasductless gland located behind the breastbone
Italian timo
- timoductless gland located behind the breastbone
Japanese 胸腺
- 胸腺 (kyōsen)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
Korean 흉선
- 흉선 (hyungseon)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
Norwegian Bokmål brissel
- brisselductless gland located behind the breastbone
Persian تیموس, آویشنک
- تیموس (timus)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
- آویشنک (āvīšanak)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
Polish grasica
- grasicaductless gland located behind the breastbone
Portuguese timo
- timoductless gland located behind the breastbone
Russian ти́мус, ви́лочковая железа́
- ти́мус (tímus)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
- ви́лочковая железа́ (víločkovaja železá)ductless gland located behind the breastbone
Spanish timo
- timoductless gland located behind the breastbone
Swedish bräss, thymus
- brässductless gland located behind the breastbone
- thymusductless gland located behind the breastbone
- tymusductless gland located behind the breastbone
Turkish timus
- timusductless gland located behind the breastbone
Vietnamese tuyến ức
- tuyến ứcductless gland located behind the breastbone
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with thymus
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
thymus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thymus
“thymus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thymus. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thymus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thymus.
Source: thymus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.