endocrine gland

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noun

any of various glands, as the thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary glands, that secrete certain substances or hormones directly into the blood or lymph; ductless gland.

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Origin of endocrine gland

First recorded in 1910–15

Words nearby endocrine gland

endocentric, endocranial cast, endocranium, endocrine, endocrine disruptor, endocrine gland, endocrine system, endocrinologist, endocrinology, endocrinopathy, endocrinous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for endocrine gland

endocrine gland

noun

any of the glands that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream, including the pituitary, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, testes, ovaries, and the pancreatic islets of LangerhansAlso called: ductless gland

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

Scientific definitions for endocrine gland

endocrine gland

[ ĕn′də-krĭn, -krēn′ ]

A gland of the body that produces hormones and secretes them directly into the bloodstream. In mammals, the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and pituitary gland, as well as the ovaries, testes, and the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas are endocrine glands.

Cultural definitions for endocrine gland

endocrine gland

[ (en-duh-krin, en-duh-kreen, en-duh-kreyen) ]

A gland that secretes hormones directly into the blood. These glands make up the endocrine system.