gland1

[gland] /glænd/
noun
1.
Anatomy.
  1. a cell, group of cells, or organ producing a secretion.
  2. any of various organs or structures resembling the shape but not the function of true glands.
2.
Botany. a secreting organ or structure.
Origin
1685-95; < Latin gland- (stem of glāns acorn); compare Italian ghianda
Related forms
glandless, adjective
glandlike, adjective

gland2

[gland] /glænd/
noun, Machinery
1.
a sleeve within a stuffing box, fitted over a shaft or valve stem and tightened against compressible packing in such a way as to prevent leakage of fluid while allowing the shaft or stem to move; lantern ring.
2.
stuffing box.
Origin
1830-40; origin uncertain
Examples from the web for glands
  • This type of gland is found in the salivary glands and esophagus.
  • Some male hormones are produced in small amounts by the adrenal glands.
  • As in other members of the myrtle family, eucalyptus leaves are covered with oil glands.
  • The areola is colored from pink to dark brown and has several sebaceous glands.
  • In women, the larger mammary glands within the breast produce the milk.
  • Salivary glands in the head secrete saliva which is mixed with the nectar and pollen.
  • It was there that he learned he had cancer of the lymph glands.
  • Crocodiles do not have sweat glands, so they release heat through their mouths.
British Dictionary definitions for glands

gland1

/ɡlænd/
noun
1.
a cell or organ in man and other animals that synthesizes chemical substances and secretes them for the body to use or eliminate, either through a duct (exocrine gland) or directly into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) See also exocrine gland, endocrine gland
2.
a structure, such as a lymph node, that resembles a gland in form
3.
a cell or organ in plants that synthesizes and secretes a particular substance
related
adjective adenoid
Derived Forms
glandlike, adjective
Word Origin
C17: from Latin glāns acorn

gland2

/ɡlænd/
noun
1.
a device that prevents leakage of fluid along a rotating shaft or reciprocating rod passing through a boundary between areas of high and low pressure. It often consists of a flanged metal sleeve bedding into a stuffing box
Word Origin
C19: of unknown origin
Word Origin and History for glands

gland

n.

1690s, from French glande (Old French glandre, 13c.), from Latin glandula "gland of the throat, tonsil," diminutive of glans (genitive glandis) "acorn, nut; acorn-shaped ball," from PIE root *gwele- "acorn" (cf. Greek balanos, Armenian kalin, Old Church Slavonic zelodi "acorn;" Lithuanian gile "oak"). Earlier English form was glandula (c.1400).

glands in Medicine

gland (glānd)
n.

  1. A cell, a group of cells, or an organ that produces a secretion for use in or for elimination from the body.

  2. Any of various organs, such as lymph nodes, that resemble true glands but perform a nonsecretory function.

glands in Science
gland
(glānd)
An organ or group of specialized cells in the body that produces and secretes a specific substance, such as a hormone. See also endocrine gland, exocrine gland.

glands in Culture

glands definition


Organs or groups of cells that take substances from the blood and change them chemically so that they can be secreted later for further use by the body. There are two kinds of glands: those that secrete their substances directly into the bloodstream (endocrine glands), and those that secrete their substances through channels or ducts (such as sweat glands and salivary glands).