endocrine
Americanadjective
-
secreting internally into the blood or lymph.
-
of or relating to an endocrine gland or its secretion.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of endocrine
1910–15; endo- + -crine < Greek krī́nein to separate
Explanation
The adjective endocrine describes the glands in your body that secrete hormones into your blood. The hormones released by your endocrine glands have an effect on almost every function of your body. Endocrine can refer to the glands in your body — called endocrine glands — and it also can describe the larger system that includes your glands and your hormones, called the endocrine system. The endocrine system is responsible for lots of functions, including regulating growth, metabolism, and even your mood. So the next time you’re in a really good mood, thank your endocrine secretions.
Vocabulary lists containing endocrine
Life Science: Human Systems
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
STAAR Biology: Biological Processes and Systems
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Life Science II
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
A low sperm count won't trigger endocrine problems, although they may happen together in some people.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Vertex Chief Executive Reshma Kewalramani said the acquisition of Crinetics would allow the company to rapidly advance medicines for patients living with serious, rare endocrine disorders and build on the momentum from the Palsonify launch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Although the study was conducted in rodents, the findings suggest that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals before and shortly after birth could potentially cause long lasting behavioral changes in humans as well.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
"This is your metabolic - the way your body produces energy. This is your endocrine system... your hormonal system. It's all these things linked."
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
Those chemicals have been proven to cause cancer, damage nerve cells, and disrupt your endocrine system—your hormones.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
That brings Surgeon Geoffrey into the house pretty often and he in turn brings Gita's endocrines into their own.
From Time Magazine Archive
Your real job here at Stanford is to learn to run your glands with their various endocrines.
From Time Magazine Archive
During the ensuing years, while other endocrines yielded up their secrets to the "hormone hunters," study of the male hormone languished.
From Time Magazine Archive
Pituitary Disorders Sirs: The endocrines have an important influence over the mental as well as the physical state of the body.
From Time Magazine Archive
This masculine element causes a rearrangement of the balance of power between the endocrines towards the side of masculinity.
From The Glands Regulating Personality by Louis Berman M.D.
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
