parathyroid

American  

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

adjective

1. situated near the thyroid gland.

---

noun

1. parathyroid gland.

parathyroid British  

/ ˌpærəˈθaɪrɔɪd /

adjective

1. situated near the thyroid gland

2. of or relating to the parathyroid glands

---

noun

1. See parathyroid gland

Etymology

Origin of parathyroid

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

Example Sentences

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

Cells in parathyroid gland sense calcium increase causing parathyroid hormone release and stimulating calcium absorption.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Cells in parathyroid gland sense calcium decrease causing parathyroid hormone release and stimulating calcium absorption.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

When the parathyroid glands detect low blood calcium levels, several organ systems alter their function to restore blood calcium levels back to normal.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

It has just recently been shown that these organs, such as the thyroid, the pituitary, the suprarenal, the parathyroid and the reproductive glands, exercise an all-powerful influence upon the course of individual development or deficiency.

From The Pivot of Civilization by Sanger, Margaret