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parotid

American  
[puh-rot-id] / pəˈrɒt ɪd /

noun

  1. Also called parotid gland.  a salivary gland situated at the base of each ear.


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or situated near either parotid.

parotid British  
/ pəˈrɒtɪd /

adjective

  1. relating to or situated near the parotid 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

noun

  1. See parotid 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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of parotid

1680–90; < New Latin parōtid- (stem of parōtis ) parotid gland; Latin: tumor near the ear < Greek parōtís. See par-, oto-

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.

She was told she required parotidectomy surgery which involved removing part of a major salivary gland in her cheek called the parotid gland.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

The warty amphibian can secrete a milky poison from the parotid glands behind its shoulders that can be fatal to wildlife.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2023

Billows has been undergoing treatment for parotid salivary cancer since November 2020 and wants to spend more time with his family.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 17, 2022

Gwynn was found in 2010 to have cancer in his right parotid salivary gland.

From New York Times • May 23, 2016

Then there is the auricular branch, which starts from the same two pairs, and supplies the face, the parotid region, and the back of the external ear.

From Neuralgia and the Diseases that Resemble it by Anstie, Francis E.

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