Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

adenoid

American  
[ad-n-oid] / ˈæd nˌɔɪd /

noun

  • adenoids
    plural
  1. Usually adenoids. an enlarged mass of lymphoid tissue in the upper pharynx, often obstructing breathing through the nasal passages.


adjective

  1. of or relating to the lymph glands.

  2. of or relating to the adenoids.

adenoid British  
/ ˈædɪˌnɔɪd /

adjective

  1. of or resembling a gland

  2. of or relating to lymphoid tissue, as that found in the lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, etc

  3. of or relating to the adenoids

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of adenoid

From the Greek word adenoeidḗs, dating back to 1830–40. See aden-, -oid

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“Meet the Fockers” star Blythe Danner, the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow, shares details of her years-long battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 23, 2023

Mr. Tork was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer affecting his tongue, in 2009.

From Washington Post Feb. 21, 2019

One is Gabriele Grunewald, a professional middle-distance runner sponsored by Brooks who is being treated for a rare cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma, but continues to compete.

From New York Times Jan. 21, 2018

The tonsil located at the back of the throat, the pharyngeal tonsil, is sometimes referred to as the adenoid when swollen.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

From the posterior nasal passage of a singer I removed nine large adenoid tumors.

From The Voice Its Production, Care and Preservation by Frank E. Miller

The most common procedures are the insertion of grommets in the ears, removal of tonsils and adenoids, and orthopaedic surgery.

From BBC Jun. 18, 2024

She looked, and sounded, a bit like Olive Oyl, with reddish hair, freckles, and a bad case of adenoids.

From New York Times Aug. 9, 2022

In children, the culprit is frequently obstructions from the adenoids or tonsils, and the solution can be as simple as an operation.

From Salon Oct. 12, 2021

He had his tonsils and adenoids removed when he was 6, which made his hospital stays less frequent and enabled him to play sports.

From Washington Post Jul. 23, 2019

His voice was slightly nasal, perhaps because he needed to have his tonsils and adenoids removed.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training