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
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STAAR Biology: Biological Processes and Systems
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Life Science II
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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:
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
Kate Morris, from the charity Verity PCOS, said she hoped the change would lead to more women being referred to specialists who recognise its endocrine and metabolic nature.
From BBC ● May 31, 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
He said more research needs to be done to identify the cause of declining sperm counts, but research on animals has shown that certain chemicals disrupt the endocrine system.
From Salon ● May 15, 2026
His endocrine system was now going fully haywire.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
That brings Surgeon Geoffrey into the house pretty often and he in turn brings Gita's endocrines into their own.
From Time Magazine Archive
The mood is serious; the movement sober, without the bravura leaps and dashes with which American dancers assault the eyes and the endocrines.
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
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
Among these pristine factors determining the content of consciousness, the endocrines are most important, because they alone to start with, of all the other factors, are different in each and every individual.
From The Glands Regulating Personality by Berman, Louis, M.D.
Definitions 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.
