adrenal gland

American

noun

Anatomy.

one of a pair of ductless glands, located above the kidneys, consisting of a cortex, which produces steroidal hormones, and a medulla, which produces epinephrine and norepinephrine.

adrenal gland British

noun

Also called: suprarenal gland. an endocrine gland at the anterior end of each kidney. Its medulla secretes adrenaline and noradrenaline and its cortex secretes several steroid hormones

"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

adrenal gland Scientific

/ ə-drē′nəl /

Either of two small endocrine glands, one located above each kidney. The outer portion, or cortex, secretes steroid hormones (corticosteroids). The inner portion, or medulla, secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Etymology

Origin of adrenal gland

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

“Copenhagen” taps the adrenal gland by keeping viewers off balance about who is who and what is what, beginning with the opening subtitles: President—and former CIA director—George H.W.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

Aldosterone is a hormone made by the adrenal gland.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2024

Cushing’s syndrome is sometimes the result of a tumor in the adrenal gland or elsewhere in the brain, requiring surgery.

From New York Times • Feb. 26, 2024

Roughly three-fourths of the affected McCoys have pheochromocytomas — tumors of the adrenal gland.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

A growth on her adrenal gland had turned up on a Bellevue CAT scan, prompting a visit to an endocrinologist.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023