glucagon

[ gloo-kuh-gon ]

/ ˈglu kəˌgɒn /

Save This Word!

noun Biochemistry.

a hormone secreted by the pancreas that acts in opposition to insulin in the regulation of blood glucose levels.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of glucagon

1923; probably gluc- + Greek ágōn present participle of ágein to lead, drive; see -agogue

Words nearby glucagon

gloxinia, gloze, Glu, Glubb, gluc-, glucagon, glucan, glucaric acid, glucide, glucinum, Gluck

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

How to use glucagon in a sentence

Other neuroendocrine tumors produce gastrin, glucagon, and other digestive hormones.
Jobs’s Unorthodox Treatment|Sharon Begley|October 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for glucagon

glucagon

/ (ˈɡluːkəˌɡɒn, -ɡən) /

noun

a polypeptide hormone, produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans, that stimulates the release of glucose into the bloodCompare insulin

Word Origin for glucagon

C20: from gluc (ose) + -agon, perhaps from Greek agein to lead

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 glucagon

glucagon

[ glōō′kə-gŏn′ ]

A polypeptide hormone produced by the pancreas that stimulates an increase in blood glucose levels, thus opposing the action of insulin.