Gland
/ɡlænd/noun
An organ or group of cells that secretes substances such as hormones, enzymes, or mucus.
Did you know?The word began as Latin glāndula, “little acorn,” because early anatomists compared the rounded shape of certain organs to oak fruit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷelH-
“Acorn or oak fruit; the reconstructed ancestor associated with the Latin word for acorn”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βάλανος (balanos)
“Acorn; later also used for the rounded head of a penis”
Classical Latin
Latin
glāns
“Acorn, mast-top, or rounded projection”
Classical Latin
Latin
glāndula
“Little acorn; a small rounded structure”
17th Century
English
gland
“A secretory organ or structure, named for its acorn-like form”
Modern English
English
gland
“An organ or cell group that produces and releases a secretion”
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