eccrine

American  

[ek-rin, -rahyn, -reen] / ˈɛk rɪn, -raɪn, -rin /

adjective

Physiology.

1. of or relating to certain sweat glands, distributed over the entire body, that secrete a type of sweat important for regulating body heat (apocrine ).

2. of or relating to secretions of these glands.

   eccrine sweat.

3. exocrine.

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eccrine British  

/ ˈɛkrɪn /

adjective

1. of or denoting glands that secrete externally, esp the numerous sweat glands on the human body Compare apocrine

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Etymology

Origin of eccrine

First recorded in 1925–30; from Greek ekkrī́nein “to secrete,” formed as if with -ine ¹ ( def. ); eccrinology ( def. ), endocrine ( def. )

Compare meaning

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

• apocrine vs. eccrine

Example Sentences

There are two kinds of sweat glands in mammals: apocrine and eccrine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

The big cats and other hunters that these foragers feared had many fewer eccrine sweat glands than humans; predators had to stay cool in the daytime by hunkering in the shade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Dr Adil Sheraz, a dermatologist at the Royal Free NHS Trust, says the most common form of sweat - eccrine sweat - does a good job of regulating body temperature.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025

Aluminum is often used for this, plugging up perspiration-producing glands called eccrine and apocrine glands, the latter of which are concentrated in the hairy parts of the body.

From National Geographic • Sep. 6, 2023

The eccrine glands that produce and secrete sweat are another example.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013