salivary gland

American

noun

Anatomy.

any of several glands, as the submaxillary glands, that secrete saliva.

salivary gland British

noun

any of the glands in mammals that secrete saliva. In man the chief salivary glands are the parotid, sublingual and submaxillary 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

salivary gland Scientific

/ săl′ə-vĕr′ē /

A gland in terrestrial animals that secretes saliva. In humans, three pairs of large glands, which include the parotid glands, secrete saliva into the mouth.

Etymology

Origin of salivary gland

First recorded in 1700–10

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.

After the removal of a cancerous salivary gland tumor, Wing’s oncologist recommended chemotherapy and radiation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Suzy Spence, from Carrickfergus in County Antrim, was diagnosed with a tumour in her salivary gland in December 2023 and was warned that a cancer diagnosis could not be ruled out.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

The researchers suggest salivary gland ionocytes probably regulate saliva pH and viscosity and secrete the growth factor that is crucial for salivary gland repair.

From Scientific American • Jul. 22, 2022

The chromosomes depicted here were isolated from a fruit fly’s salivary gland, stained with dye, and visualized under a microscope.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

A salivary gland in front of Garfield's right ear swelled.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

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