1.
lymph node; lymph gland
A small organ of the lymphatic system. Strictly the correct medical term is リンパ節 (lymph node), but リンパ腺 remains the everyday word people use, especially when describing swelling during illness.
リンパ腺が腫れている。
My lymph nodes are swollen.
風邪をひくと首のリンパ腺が痛くなる。
When I catch a cold, the lymph nodes in my neck start to hurt.
医者は首や脇のリンパ腺を丁寧に触って調べた。
The doctor carefully felt and examined the lymph nodes in my neck and armpits.
The common, everyday word for a lymph node, written with katakana リンパ (from Latin/Dutch) plus 腺 (gland). Most often heard in connection with swelling during illness.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- リンパ腺が腫れる: the lymph nodes swell
- 首のリンパ腺: the lymph nodes in the neck
SIMILAR WORDS:
- リンパ節: lymph node — the technically correct medical term used in clinical writing
- リンパ液: lymph (the fluid itself)