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:
Novo Nordisk will seek to build out future growth areas in blood and endocrine disorders, liver diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, Doustdar said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
He worries if he has low fertility it could affect something called the endocrine system, a network of glands and organs in charge of releasing hormones in the body.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Vertex Pharmaceuticals will acquire Crinetics Pharmaceuticals for $10 billion, adding endocrine disease treatments to its portfolio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
The researchers also found that motor circuits connect with other circuit types, including those in the visual and endocrine systems, which supply extra information that helps shape behavior.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 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
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
Adolescence will be peaceful, calm, semi-conscious, or disturbing, revolutionary and obsessive according to the reaction of the other endocrines to the rise of the ovaries.
From The Glands Regulating Personality by Louis Berman 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.
