holocrine

American

[hol-uh-krin, -krahyn, hoh-luh-] / ˈhɒl ə krɪn, -ˌkraɪn, ˈhoʊ lə- /

adjective

(of a gland) releasing a secretion that is a product of disintegrating cells.
(of a secretion) released by such a gland.

holocrine British

/ ˈhɒləkrɪn /

adjective

(of the secretion of glands) characterized by disintegration of the entire glandular cell in releasing its product, as in sebaceous glands Compare merocrine apocrine

"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

Etymology

Origin of holocrine

1900–05; holo- + -crine < Greek krī́nein to separate

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

holocrine

In the glands, sebum is produced within specialized cells and is released as these cells burst; sebaceous glands are thus classified as holocrine glands.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Apocrine glands release secretions by pinching off the apical portion of the cell, whereas holocrine gland cells store their secretions until they rupture and release their contents.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

They are holocrine glands and they are destroyed after releasing their contents.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

In contrast, the process of holocrine secretion involves the rupture and destruction of the entire gland cell.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023