gland
/ɡlænd/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡlænd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgland/ (ame, mw)
gland — noun
- glandsingular
- glandsplural
1. an organ inside the body of an animal or plant that makes special liquids such a
an organ inside the body of an animal or plant that makes special liquids such as sweat, saliva, or hormones, which the body then either uses or pushes out.
The sweat glands on Yara's forehead worked hard during the long summer run.
common compound: sweat gland
Doctors discovered a small tumour on Rohan's thyroid gland during the scan.
common compound: thyroid gland
The biology teacher explained how salivary glands help us begin to digest food in the mouth.
Bees have special glands in their bodies that produce wax for building the honeycomb.
Some flowers contain tiny glands that release a sweet liquid to attract insects.
- organ
broader term — every gland is an organ, but most organs are not glands
用法筆記
Almost always used with a modifier naming the location or product — sweat / thyroid / salivary / pituitary / mammary / adrenal gland. Bare 'gland' on its own is rare outside technical writing.
常見錯誤
2. in everyday speech, a small lump under the skin — usually in the neck, armpit, o
in everyday speech, a small lump under the skin — usually in the neck, armpit, or groin — that swells up when you are ill; medically it is a lymph node, not a true secreting gland.
Quan felt swollen glands in his neck the morning his sore throat began.
typical phrase: swollen glands; location: neck
The nurse pressed gently along Amira's jaw to check for tender glands.
collocation: tender glands
Mira's mum told her the lumps under her arm were just glands fighting the infection.
Children with mumps often have very painful glands in front of their ears.
- lymph node
the medical term for the same body part
文法句型
swollen glands
glands in the neck/armpit/groin
用法筆記
Subject is usually a body region in the neck, armpit, jaw, or groin. Almost always plural and paired with adjectives like swollen / tender / painful / enlarged. Distinguish from sense 1: this informal sense refers to lymph nodes, which do not secrete anything.