Adrenal
/ˌædˈriː.nəl/noun
Relating to the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys and produce hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
Did you know?The term was coined in modern scientific Latin from ad- (“to”) + renes (“kidneys”), and it later became tied to the hormone adrenaline, one of the body’s most famous stress messengers.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
ad renes
“to the kidneys”
17th–18th Century
New Latin
glandulae ad renes
“the glands located near/above the kidneys”
Late 19th Century
English
adrenal
“relating to the suprarenal glands”
20th Century
English
adrenal
“relating to the adrenal glands and their hormones”
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