Main definitions of gland in English

: gland¹ gland²

gland¹

noun

1An organ in the human or animal body which secretes particular chemical substances for use in the body or for discharge into the surroundings.
- ‘The mammary glands are specialized cutaneous glands that develop rapidly but incompletely at puberty.’
- ‘The parotid salivary glands, which produce saliva for the mouth, are found toward the back of each cheek, in the area between the ear and jaw.’
- ‘A CT scan, however, reveals these bones and organs as well as your pancreas, adrenal glands, ureters and blood vessels - all with a higher degree of precision.’
- ‘It releases stimulating hormones that signal the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries and testes, directing them to produce their respective hormones.’
- ‘Other sites include minor salivary glands and submandibular gland.’
- ‘These include the genital glands (ovary and testis), broad ligament of the uterus, and spermatic cord.’
- ‘The other type of sweat-producing gland, the apocrine glands, develop at puberty and are concentrated in the armpits and pubic region.’
- ‘There are 4-5 million exocrine glands in the body and approximately one-third of them are in the palms.’
- ‘In spite of the similarity in name and location, the parathyroid glands and thyroid gland are separate glands with very different functions.’
- ‘Within the neck, there are neck muscles, arteries, veins, lymph glands, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, oesophagus, larynx and trachea.’
- ‘It was first isolated from the endocrine gland in the body which has primary responsibility for holding calcium levels in your blood within a very tight range.’
- ‘We know that the way our cells divide and our glands secrete will become faulty and irregular.’
- ‘Hypoplasia of other organs, such as the adrenal glands, kidney, pituitary gland, and thymus, may also be attributed to tetraploidy.’
- ‘Cells were not counted if they were in blood vessels, mucous glands, or mucous gland ducts.’
- ‘One, a 20 year old female, had deposits in the brain, liver, lung, bone marrow, adrenal glands, and ovaries.’
- ‘In the unstimulated state, 70 percent of saliva is secreted by the submandibular and sublingual glands.’
- ‘You have three pairs of salivary glands that secrete saliva.’
- ‘However, involvement of the heart, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, and other organs is well described.’
- ‘The glands secrete parathyroid hormone, which is the primary regulator of calcium homeostasis.’
- ‘Other common head and neck cancers occur in soft tissues of the neck, which are primarily glandular such as thyroid gland and salivary gland.’
1. 1.1A structure resembling a gland, especially a lymph node.
  ‘symptoms include swollen glands’
  ‘Mumps is caused by a virus and symptoms include swollen glands, pain when chewing and fever.’
  ‘Often the sore throat feels sharp or splinterlike, and the glands are swollen.’
  ‘It is, off course, especially indicated for goitre and swollen glands of the neck.’
  ‘This is to increase blood flow causing the gland to swell.’
  ‘I'd taken my top off and when he was giving me a full physical he said I had swollen glands.’
  ‘She had swollen glands, trouble thinking clearly, and dragged through her day.’
  ‘The cold sore would never heal and then it infected my gland and it became swollen.’
  ‘In meth users - partly because of the dehydration common because they do not drink enough fluids - salivary glands quit and swell shut.’
  ‘Other symptoms might include swollen glands, fever, recurring sore throat, memory impairment and/or sleep problems.’
  ‘Her gland started swelling and it closed the vein to the brain.’
  ‘He had swollen glands and a stomach bug on raceday.’
  ‘Other symptoms could include swollen glands, red eyes, sore throat, diarrhea, and a rash that looks like blisters or bruises.’
  ‘This virus causes swollen glands in the face and neck, and can also cause deafness, and swelling of testicles in boys, and ovaries in girls.’
  ‘‘My father had experienced flu-like symptoms and swollen glands for a while before diagnosis,’ Rob recalled.’
  ‘There is no treatment other than remedies to ease the symptoms, which include headache and fever followed by swollen glands.’
  ‘Forty five euros to have a doctor feel my throat, and tell me that my glands are swollen, then another twenty five euros to pay for the medication.’
2. 1.2Botany
  A secreting cell or group of cells on or within a plant structure.
  ‘Some (but by no means all) halophytes utilize salt-secreting glands to remove excess ions from their leaves, reducing the need for very tight balancing of ion accumulation and growth.’
  ‘Similar to the control group, the large bronchi were lined with simple cuboidal cells and contained discrete glands within the underlying wall.’
  ‘The report states that nectar glands occur only within the genus Eriocaulon.’
  ‘The family is characterized by various kinds of sclereids, hypophyllous glands and specific nectary bracts.’
  ‘The latter often produce copious secretions to the plant surface, outside the cuticle, or stored within glands.’
  ‘The glands of the cyathium usually produce nectar, and pollination is mainly zoophilous.’

Origin

Late 17th century: from French glande, alteration of Old French glandre, from Latin glandulae throat glands.

Pronunciation:

gland

/ɡland/

Main definitions of gland in English

: gland¹ gland²

gland²

noun

A sleeve used to produce a seal round a piston rod or other shaft.
- ‘The major disadvantage is that the packing gland is beneath the engine and transmission, making service and alignment more difficult.’
- ‘Engine access, for such routine maintenance as changing the oil filter or adjusting the packing gland on the shaft, is poor.’