pituitary
pituitary — noun
- pituitarysingular
- pituitariesplural
1. the body's main hormone-producing gland, located beneath the brain, which makes
the body's main hormone-producing gland, located beneath the brain, which makes chemicals that control growth, reproduction, and other essential processes.
About the size of a pea, the pituitary sits at the bottom of the brain.
size and location description
Kabir's doctor ordered an MRI to check whether his pituitary was working properly.
diagnostic context: MRI scan
Damage to the pituitary can stop a child from growing normally.
The pituitary releases hormones that tell the ovaries to release an egg each month.
Yan learned in biology class that the pituitary is sometimes called the master gland.
- hypophysis
the formal medical name for the pituitary gland, rarely used outside clinical contexts
文法句型
the pituitary
pituitary + verb
用法筆記
Commonly called the master gland because it directs the activity of many other hormone-producing glands. Distinguish from the hypothalamus, which sits directly above the pituitary and sends signals to regulate its output.
常見錯誤
pituitary — adjective
- pituitarypositive
- more pituitarycomparative
- most pituitarysuperlative
1. describing something connected with the pituitary gland or the hormones it produ
describing something connected with the pituitary gland or the hormones it produces.
Pituitary disorders often affect a person's growth and energy levels.
collocation: pituitary disorders
The hospital's pituitary clinic sees patients from across the country.
Nkechi's pituitary tumour was benign and did not require surgery.
Regular blood tests help doctors monitor pituitary function in patients.
Pituitary hormones travel through the blood to reach their target organs.
- hypophyseal
a formal medical synonym used mainly in clinical and research writing
文法句型
pituitary + noun
用法筆記
Frequently paired with medical nouns such as tumour, disorder, function, and hormone. This sense describes a connection to the gland itself, not a condition caused by its malfunction — see sense 2 for that distinction.
2. resulting from the pituitary gland producing too much or too little of a hormone
resulting from the pituitary gland producing too much or too little of a hormone.
Pituitary dwarfism is caused by a lack of growth hormone in childhood.
condition: growth hormone deficiency
Lucía was diagnosed with a pituitary condition that made her thyroid overactive.
Pituitary gigantism occurs when too much growth hormone is released before puberty.
Doctors treat pituitary Cushing's disease by removing the gland's abnormal tissue.
文法句型
pituitary + medical condition noun
用法筆記
Restricted to medical descriptions of conditions directly caused by abnormal pituitary secretion. Distinguish from sense 1, which simply means 'relating to the pituitary gland' without implying dysfunction.