ENDOCRINE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does endocrine mean? 

• ENDOCRINE (noun)
  The noun ENDOCRINE has 2 senses:

1. the secretion of an endocrine gland that is transmitted by the blood to the tissue on which it has a specific effect
2. any of the glands of the endocrine system that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream

  Familiarity information: ENDOCRINE used as a noun is rare.

• ENDOCRINE (adjective)
  The adjective ENDOCRINE has 1 sense:

1. of or belonging to endocrine glands or their secretions

  Familiarity information: ENDOCRINE used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ENDOCRINE (noun)

Meaning:

The secretion of an endocrine gland that is transmitted by the blood to the tissue on which it has a specific effect

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

endocrine; hormone; internal secretion

Hypernyms ("endocrine" is a kind of...):

secretion (a functionally specialized substance (especially one that is not a waste) released from a gland or cell)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "endocrine"):

growth hormone; human growth hormone; somatotrophic hormone; somatotrophin; somatotropic hormone; somatotropin; STH (a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland; promotes growth in humans)

thymosin (hormone secreted by the thymus; stimulates immunological activity of lymphoid tissue)

thyroid hormone (any of several closely related compounds that are produced by the thyroid gland and are active metabolically)

ADH; antidiuretic hormone; Pitressin; vasopressin (hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus; affects blood pressure by stimulating capillary muscles and reduces urine flow by affecting reabsorption of water by kidney tubules)

sex hormone; steroid; steroid hormone (any hormone affecting the development and growth of sex organs)

adrenosterone (a steroid having androgenic activity; obtained from the cortex of the adrenal gland)

glucocorticoid (a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal cortex of animals; affects functioning of gonads and has anti-inflammatory activity)

catecholamine (any of a group of chemicals including epinephrine and norepinephrine that are produced in the medulla of the adrenal gland)

melanocyte-stimulating hormone; MSH (a hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland that controls the degree of pigmentation in melanocytes)

thyroid-stimulating hormone; thyrotrophic hormone; thyrotrophin; thyrotropic hormone; thyrotropin; TSH (anterior pituitary hormone that stimulates the function of the thyroid gland)

protirelin; thyrotropin-releasing factor; thyrotropin-releasing hormone; TRF; TRH (hormone released by the hypothalamus that controls the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary)

secretin (peptic hormone produced by the mucous lining of the small intestine; can stimulate secretion by the pancreas and liver)

hypothalamic releasing factor; hypothalamic releasing hormone; releasing factor; releasing hormone; RH (any of several hormones produced in the hypothalamus and carried by a vein to the anterior pituitary gland where they stimulate the release of anterior pituitary hormones; each of these hormones causes the anterior pituitary to secrete a specific hormone)

relaxin (hormone secreted by the corpus luteum during the last days of pregnancy; relaxes the pelvic ligaments and prepares the uterus for labor)

Adrenalin; adrenaline; epinephrin; epinephrine (a catecholamine secreted by the adrenal medulla in response to stress (trade name Adrenalin); stimulates autonomic nerve action)

gastrin (polypeptide hormone secreted by the mucous lining of the stomach; induces the secretion of gastric juice)

ghrelin (a hormone produced by stomach cells)

glucagon (a hormone secreted by the pancreas; stimulates increases in blood sugar levels in the blood (thus opposing the action of insulin))

gonadotrophic hormone; gonadotrophin; gonadotropic hormone; gonadotropin (hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland and placenta; stimulates the gonads and controls reproductive activity)

insulin (hormone secreted by the isles of Langerhans in the pancreas; regulates storage of glycogen in the liver and accelerates oxidation of sugar in cells)

melatonin (hormone secreted by the pineal gland)

neurohormone (a hormone that is released by nerve impulses (e.g., norepinephrine or vasopressin))

oxytocin; Pitocin (hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitocin); stimulates contractions of the uterus and ejection of milk)

parathormone; parathyroid hormone (hormone synthesized and released into the blood stream by the parathyroid glands; regulates phosphorus and calcium in the body and functions in neuromuscular excitation and blood clotting)

ACTH; adrenocorticotrophic hormone; adrenocorticotrophin; adrenocorticotropic hormone; adrenocorticotropin; corticotrophin; corticotropin (a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal cortex)

Meaning:

Any of the glands of the endocrine system that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

ductless gland; endocrine gland; endocrine

Hypernyms ("endocrine" is a kind of...):

gland; secreter; secretor; secretory organ (any of various organs that synthesize substances needed by the body and release it through ducts or directly into the bloodstream)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "endocrine"):

neurohypophysis; pars nervosa; posterior pituitary; posterior pituitary gland (the posterior lobe of the pituitary body; primarily glandular in nature)

gonad; sex gland (a gland in which gametes (sex cells) are produced)

corpus luteum (yellow endocrine tissue that forms in a ruptured Graafian follicle following the release of an ovum)

adrenal medulla (the medulla of the adrenal gland; secretes epinephrine)

adrenal cortex (the cortex of the adrenal gland; secretes corticosterone and sex hormones)

islands of Langerhans; isles of Langerhans; islets of Langerhans (cell clusters in the pancreas that form the endocrine part of that organ; secrete insulin and other hormones)

epiphysis; epiphysis cerebri; pineal body; pineal gland (a small endocrine gland in the brain; situated beneath the back part of the corpus callosum; secretes melatonin)

pars intermedia (a thin piece of tissue that has become part of the posterior pituitary)

pars anterior; pars distilis (the anterior part of the anterior pituitary)

adenohypophysis; anterior pituitary; anterior pituitary gland (the anterior lobe of the pituitary body; primarily glandular in nature)

thyroid; thyroid gland (located near the base of the neck)

parathyroid; parathyroid gland (any one of four endocrine glands situated above or within the thyroid gland)

adrenal; adrenal gland; suprarenal gland (either of a pair of complex endocrine glands situated near the kidney)

prostate; prostate gland (a firm partly muscular chestnut sized gland in males at the neck of the urethra; produces a viscid secretion that is the fluid part of semen)

thymus; thymus gland (a ductless glandular organ at the base of the neck that produces lymphocytes and aids in producing immunity; atrophies with age)

hypophysis; pituitary; pituitary body; pituitary gland (the master gland of the endocrine system; located at the base of the brain)

Holonyms ("endocrine" is a part of...):

endocrine system (the system of glands that produce endocrine secretions that help to control bodily metabolic activity)

• ENDOCRINE (adjective)

Meaning:

Of or belonging to endocrine glands or their secretions

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

endocrinal; endocrine

Context example:

endocrine system

Antonym:

exocrine (of or relating to exocrine glands or their secretions)

Pertainym:

endocrine gland (any of the glands of the endocrine system that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream)