lymphocyte-sensitive
|lymph-o-cyte-sens-i-tive|
🇺🇸
/ˈlɪmfəˌsaɪt ˈsɛnsətɪv/
🇬🇧
/ˈlɪmfəˌsaɪt ˈsɛnsɪtɪv/
affected by lymphocytes
Etymology
'lymphocyte-sensitive' is a compound of 'lymphocyte' and 'sensitive.' 'Lymphocyte' originates from New Latin/Greek: Greek 'lymphē' (via Latin 'lympha') meaning 'clear fluid' and Greek 'kutos/kyto-' (κυτος) meaning 'cell'; 'sensitive' originates from Latin 'sensitivus' (from 'sentire') meaning 'to feel.'
'lymphocyte' was formed in modern medical New Latin (19th century) by combining 'lymph-' (clear fluid) with the suffix '-cyte' (cell) to name a type of white blood cell. 'Sensitive' entered English via Old French (sensitif) from Latin 'sensitivus' and has been used in English since Middle English/early modern periods; the compound 'lymphocyte-sensitive' is a modern technical formation used in immunology.
Originally, 'lymph' referred to clear fluid and 'cell' to a hollow container; together 'lymphocyte' came to mean a specific white blood cell. 'Sensitive' originally meant 'capable of feeling' and broadened to mean 'readily affected by or responsive to an external agent.' The compound now specifically denotes susceptibility or responsiveness to lymphocyte action.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
susceptible to recognition by, attack from, or functional response of lymphocytes; in immunology, describes cells, tissues, antigens, or tumors that elicit or are affected by a lymphocyte-mediated immune response.
The tumor was lymphocyte-sensitive, so clinicians considered T-cell–based immunotherapy.
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Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/01 22:04