apocrine

American

[ap-uh-krin, -krahyn, -kreen] / ˈæp ə krɪn, -ˌkraɪn, -ˌkrin /

adjective

Physiology.

of or relating to certain glands whose secretions are acted upon by bacteria to produce the characteristic odor of perspiration (distinguished from eccrine).
of or relating to such secretions.

apocrine sweat.

apocrine British

/ ˈæpəkraɪn, -krɪn /

adjective

denoting a type of glandular secretion in which part of the secreting cell is lost with the secretion, as in mammary glands Compare merocrine holocrine

"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

Etymology

Origin of apocrine

1925–30; < Greek apokrī́nein to set apart, equivalent to apo- apo- + krī́nein to separate, choose; formed as if with -ine ¹, probably on the model of endocrine

Compare meaning

How does apocrine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

apocrine vs. eccrine

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