thyroid
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the thyroid gland.
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of or relating to the largest cartilage of the larynx, forming the projection known in humans as the Adam's apple.
noun
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the thyroid cartilage.
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an artery, vein, etc., in the thyroid region.
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Medicine/Medical. a preparation made from the thyroid glands of certain animals, used in treating hypothyroid conditions.
adjective
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of or relating to the thyroid gland
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of or relating to the largest cartilage of the larynx
noun
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See thyroid gland
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Also: thyroid extract. the powdered preparation made from the thyroid gland of certain animals, used to treat hypothyroidism
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thyroid
1685–95; variant of thyreoid < Greek thyreoeidḗs shield-shaped, equivalent to thyre ( ós ) oblong shield (literally, doorlike object, equivalent to thýr ( a ) door + -eos adj. suffix) + -oeidēs -oid
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.
The same AI pattern-recognition that’s learning to spot breast tumors is being applied to thyroid screening, lung nodule detection and colonoscopies.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
When adults were treated with thyroid hormone, which stimulates liver cell growth, their cells began accumulating mutations at rates similar to those seen in juveniles.
From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026
After a second miscarriage, women were tested for anaemia and abnormal thyroid function, which can affect pregnancy outcomes.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
With the pressure inside my throat from the tube and the pressure outside the windpipe from my thyroid, maybe there was some damage to the nerves.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
The weed-killer aminotriazole has caused thyroid cancer in test animals.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.