pancreas

American  

[pan-kree-uhs, pang-] / ˈpæn kri əs, ˈpæŋ- /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

1. a gland, situated near the stomach, that secretes a digestive fluid into the intestine through one or more ducts and also secretes the hormone insulin.

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pancreas British  

/ ˈpæŋkrɪəs, ˌpæŋkrɪˈætɪk /

noun

1. a large elongated glandular organ, situated behind the stomach, that secretes insulin and pancreatic juice

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pancreas Scientific  

/ păng′krē-əs /

1. A long, irregularly shaped gland in vertebrate animals that is located behind the stomach and is part of the digestive system. It secretes hormones (insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin) into the bloodstream and digestive enzymes into the small intestine or gut. The pancreas also secretes sodium bicarbonate, which protects the lining of the intestine by neutralizing acids from the stomach.

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pancreas Cultural  

1. A gland behind the stomach that functions in both the endocrine system and the digestive system. Its endocrine function involves the secretion into the bloodstream of insulin, which regulates the level of sugars in the blood. As part of the digestive system, the pancreas secretes into the small intestine a fluid containing enzymes that is used in the digestion of all foods.

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Other Word Forms

• pancreatic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pancreas

First recorded in 1570–80; from New Latin, from Greek pánkreas “sweetbread”; pan- + kréas “flesh, meat”

Explanation

The pancreas is part of the digestive system. It helps the stomach digest food. It’s a large, long gland that secretes insulin and digestive enzymes. Although the stomach gets the most of the credit for digesting food, it has a helper — the pancreas. The pancreas hides behind your stomach and helps digest and absorb nutrients, and it also helps you maintain a healthy blood sugar level by secreting insulin. This dual function makes the pancreas part endocrine (for the insulin) and part exocrine (for the digestive juices). These two functions make the pancreas important, but you can actually live without it.

Example Sentences

In the UK, the only current HSR line is High Speed 1, the 68 miles link between the Channel Tunnel and London St Pancreas.

From BBC • May 13, 2025

The teamtrialled a technology known as Hybrid Closed-Loop or Artificial Pancreas.

From Science Daily • Oct. 24, 2023

Figure 23.26 Exocrine and Endocrine Pancreas The pancreas has a head, a body, and a tail.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Figure 17.18 Pancreas The pancreatic exocrine function involves the acinar cells secreting digestive enzymes that are transported into the small intestine by the pancreatic duct.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Pancreas, pan′krē-as, n. a conglomerate gland, lying transversely across the posterior wall of the abdomen, secreting the pancreatic juice which pours with the bile into the digestive system.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various