| a small killer cell that destroys virus-infected cells or tumor cells without activation by an immune system cell or antibody. |
| natural killer cell n. A lymphocyte that is activated by double-stranded RNA or lymphokines and fights off viral infections and tumors without evident antigenic specificity. |
natural killer cell n.
Abbr. NK cell A killer cell that is activated by double-stranded RNA and fights off viral infections and tumors.