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uropygial gland

American  

noun

Ornithology.

  1. a gland opening on the back at the base of the tail in most birds that secretes an oily fluid used by the bird in preening its feathers.

uropygial gland British  

noun

  1. a gland, situated at the base of the tail in most birds, that secretes oil used in preening

"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 uropygial gland

First recorded in 1865–70

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.

Among the substances produced by birds are the secretions of the uropygial gland, which may be pigmented orange, red or yellow.

From US News

They also found evidence that the birds transferred carotenoids from their uropygial gland to their feathers by rubbing their head on their neck, breast and back feathers.

From US News

They then looked for the pigments that may tinge the plumage both in the secretions of the uropygial gland and on the surface of feathers.

From US News

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.