Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

parathyroid

American  
[par-uh-thahy-roid] / ˌpær əˈθaɪ rɔɪd /

adjective

  1. situated near the thyroid gland.


parathyroid British  
/ ˌpærəˈθaɪrɔɪd /

adjective

  1. situated near the thyroid gland

  2. of or relating to the parathyroid glands

"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

noun

  1. See parathyroid 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

Etymology

Origin of parathyroid

First recorded in 1895–1900; para- 1 + thyroid

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:

When he arrived in Massachusetts for his first fellowship studying parathyroid hormone, Habener found a ready source of thyroid glands to study from a local Cambridge slaughterhouse that supplied calf meat.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 29, 2025

Stretching stimulates nerve impulses to be sent to the brain, which releases oxytocin from the parathyroid gland, which in turn causes uterine contractions.

From Textbooks Jun. 9, 2022

In the presence of decreased blood glucose levels, insulin is produced by the parathyroid to increase calcium absorption.

From Textbooks Jun. 9, 2022

Hyperparathyroidism results from an overproduction of parathyroid hormone.

From Textbooks Jun. 9, 2022

All sorts of tests have related the malady to the phenomena succeeding parathyroid deprivation, and they are now looked upon as aspects of it.

From The Glands Regulating Personality by Berman, Louis, M.D.

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training