Meaning & use
lymphatic gland
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
One of the small bean-shaped organs that filter lymph fluid and help the body fight infection.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a lymphatic gland, the lymphatic glands, or several lymphatic glands.
Patterns
- swollen lymphatic glands
- a lymphatic gland in the neck
- the lymphatic glands drain fluid
The doctor felt the lymphatic glands in his neck to see if they were swollen.
Lymphatic glands trap bacteria and other harmful particles before they spread.
An infection can make the lymphatic glands under the arm become tender and enlarged.
nounpluraltechnical
A group of these organs considered as part of the body's defense system.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural when talking about the whole system: the lymphatic glands.
Patterns
- the lymphatic glands
- lymphatic glands throughout the body
The lymphatic glands work together with the spleen and thymus.
Cancer cells can travel through the lymphatic glands to other parts of the body.
Word forms
| plural | lymphatic glands |
|---|
Common combinations
- swollen lymphatic glands
- Swollen lymphatic glands are often the first sign of an infection.
- lymphatic gland cancer
- He was treated for lymphatic gland cancer last year.
- enlarged lymphatic glands
- The scan showed enlarged lymphatic glands in her chest.
- a lymphatic gland in the neck
- A painful lymphatic gland in the neck can make swallowing uncomfortable.
- remove a lymphatic gland
- Surgeons sometimes remove a lymphatic gland to check whether cancer has spread.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lymph node
- This is the standard modern medical term and is more precise, because these organs are not true glands; use lymph node in medical writing.
- lymph gland
- A shorter everyday form with the same meaning; it is common in speech but less exact than lymph node.
Word family
- lymph noun
- The clear fluid that travels through the lymphatic system.
- lymphatic adjective
- Relating to lymph or the vessels and organs that carry it.
- lymphatic system noun
- The whole network of vessels, nodes and organs that drain lymph.
Commonly confused: lymphatic gland or thyroid gland? lymphatic gland or salivary gland?
lymphatic gland vs thyroid gland
A thyroid gland is a single organ in the neck that makes hormones, while lymphatic glands are many small organs that filter fluid and fight infection.
lymphatic gland vs salivary gland
Salivary glands produce saliva in the mouth; lymphatic glands are part of the immune and drainage system.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'lymphatic gland' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Lymphatic glands filter lymph and can swell during infection, so option 0 fits. Option 1 describes a salivary gland, option 2 describes the heart, and option 3 describes the thyroid gland.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lymphatic gland”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.