thyroid

[thahy-roid] /ˈθaɪ rɔɪd/
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to the thyroid gland.
2.
of or pertaining to the largest cartilage of the larynx, forming the projection known in humans as the Adam's apple.
noun
3.
thyroid gland.
4.
the thyroid cartilage.
5.
an artery, vein, etc., in the thyroid region.
6.
Medicine/Medical. a preparation made from the thyroid glands of certain animals, used in treating hypothyroid conditions.
Origin
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
Related forms
thyroidal, adjective
thyroidless, adjective
antithyroid, adjective, noun
postthyroidal, adjective
prethyroid, adjective
Examples from the web for thyroid
  • Iodine, a mineral essential for proper thyroid functioning and mental development, may be added too.
  • They concentrate in the thyroid and represent a potential threat of thyroid cancer, among other illnesses.
  • She was suffer- ing from an enlarged thyroid gland and was extremely thin.
  • The surgeon chooses from a number of prefabricated sizes and inserts one through a hole in the thyroid cartilage.
  • She also has had her thyroid tested awhile ago, so it does not seem to be that.
  • It could be depression, it could be a thyroid problem, it could be a number of things.
  • Today, they were both diagnosed with advanced thyroid cancer.
  • She has several medical issues including narcolepsy and, now, a thyroid which has stopped working completely.
  • The virus has also been detected in pituitary and thyroid tumors.
  • Without it, the thyroid gland can't make certain hormones.
British Dictionary definitions for thyroid

thyroid

/ˈθaɪrɔɪd/
adjective
1.
of or relating to the thyroid gland
2.
of or relating to the largest cartilage of the larynx
noun
3.
See thyroid gland
4.
Also thyroid extract. the powdered preparation made from the thyroid gland of certain animals, used to treat hypothyroidism
Word Origin
C18: from New Latin thyroidēs, from Greek thureoeidēs, from thureos oblong (literally: door-shaped) shield, from thura door
Word Origin and History for thyroid
adj.

1690s (in reference to both the cartilage and the gland), from Greek thyreoiedes "shield-shaped" (in khondros thyreoiedes "shield-shaped cartilage," used by Galen to describe the "Adam's apple" in the throat), from thyreos "oblong, door-shaped shield" (from thyra "door") + -eides "form, shape" (see -oid). The noun, short for thyroid gland, is recorded from 1849.

thyroid in Medicine

thyroid thy·roid (thī'roid')
n.

  1. The thyroid gland.

  2. The thyroid cartilage.

  3. A powdered preparation of the thyroid gland of certain domestic animals, used in the treatment of cretinism and myxedema, in certain cases of obesity, and in skin disorders.

thy'roid' adj.
thy·roi'dal adj.
thyroid in Culture
thyroid [(theye-royd)]

A large gland in the neck that functions in the endocrine system. The thyroid secretes hormones that regulate growth and metabolism.