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uropygial gland

noun Ornithology.

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.

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Also called oil gland, preen gland.

Origin of uropygial gland

First recorded in 1865–70

Words nearby uropygial gland

uropod, uropoiesis, uroporphyrin, uroporphyrinogen, uropygial, uropygial gland, uropygium, uroradiology, uroscheocele, uroschesis, uroscopy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for uropygial gland

uropygial gland

noun

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