1
a
: a specialized cell, group of cells, or organ of endothelial origin that selectively removes materials from the blood, concentrates or alters them, and secretes them for further use in the body or for elimination from the body compare endocrine gland, exocrine gland
b
: any of various animal structures suggestive of glands though not secretory in function
2
: any of various secreting organs (such as a nectary) of plants
1
: a device for preventing leakage of fluid past a joint in machinery
2
: the movable part of a stuffing box by which the packing is compressed
Examples of gland in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maytal Eyal and Bridget Freihart, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The tumor had spread through the thyroid gland, onto the carotid artery and into the tracheal rings.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Another potential health issue is anal gland problems.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, symptoms include: Sudden high fever
Severe headaches
Pain behind the eyes
Joint and muscle pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Swollen glands
Rash that appears 3 to 4 days after the fever starts
Is dengue fever a risk in Ohio?
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 27 Mar. 2024
Your thyroid gland is a gland in the front of your neck responsible for metabolism regulation.
—Christine Coppa, Health, 3 Apr. 2024
Through analyzing thin layers of tissue from different organs, the biologists found that the milk is produced by special glands that appear only during the parental care period.
—Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024
Dry eye syndrome can be the result of problems with meibomian glands, located in the eyelids.
—Amanda Gardner, Health, 21 Mar. 2024
The chef also knows not everybody leaps at the thought of thymus glands for dinner.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Noun
Read More: Suffering Shouldn’t Be a Normal Part of Womanhood
For early intervention, few examples are more relevant than postpartum thyroiditis, which occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to be inflamed.
—Maytal Eyal and Bridget Freihart, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The tumor had spread through the thyroid gland, onto the carotid artery and into the tracheal rings.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Another potential health issue is anal gland problems.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, symptoms include: Sudden high fever
Severe headaches
Pain behind the eyes
Joint and muscle pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Swollen glands
Rash that appears 3 to 4 days after the fever starts
Is dengue fever a risk in Ohio?
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 27 Mar. 2024
Your thyroid gland is a gland in the front of your neck responsible for metabolism regulation.
—Christine Coppa, Health, 3 Apr. 2024
Through analyzing thin layers of tissue from different organs, the biologists found that the milk is produced by special glands that appear only during the parental care period.
—Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024
Dry eye syndrome can be the result of problems with meibomian glands, located in the eyelids.
—Amanda Gardner, Health, 21 Mar. 2024
The chef also knows not everybody leaps at the thought of thymus glands for dinner.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gland.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gland
Cite this Entry
“Gland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gland. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
gland
noun1
: a cell, group of cells, or organ of endothelial origin that selectively removes materials from the blood, concentrates or alters them, and secretes them for further use in the body or for elimination from the body
2
: any of various animal structures (as a lymph node) suggestive of glands though not secretory in function
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