gland
n. countablen. an organ in the body that makes and releases special liquids, like sweat, spit, or hormones.
n. an organ or group of cells that synthesises substances such as hormones, enzymes, or sweat for release into the bloodstream or onto a body surface.
The sweat glands in your skin help keep you cool.
The doctor checked the patient's neck to see if the lymph glands were swollen from the infection.
The endocrine system consists of several major glands that secrete hormones directly into the circulatory system to regulate distant target organs and maintain internal homeostasis.
Late 17th century borrowing from French glande, alteration of Old French glandre, from Latin glandulae (“throat glands, tonsils”), plural of glandula (“a little acorn”), from glāns (“an acorn”) + -ula (diminutive nominal suffix).
Early 19th century, probably from Scots glam (“vice, clamp”), probably from a variant of clam (“clam; clamp, vise”). Related to clamp.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly modified by the specific substance produced, such as 'adrenal gland' or 'salivary gland'.
Last updated May 6, 2026