thyroid

[ thahy-roid ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to the thyroid gland.

  2. of or relating to the largest cartilage of the larynx, forming the projection known in humans as the Adam's apple.

noun
  1. the thyroid cartilage.

  1. an artery, vein, etc., in the thyroid region.

  2. Medicine/Medical. a preparation made from the thyroid glands of certain animals, used in treating hypothyroid conditions.

Origin of thyroid

1
1685–95; variant of thyreoid<Greek thyreoeidḗs shield-shaped, equivalent to thyre(ós) oblong shield (literally, doorlike object, equivalent to thýr(a) door + -eos adj. suffix) + -oeidēs-oid

Other words from thyroid

  • thy·roi·dal, adjective
  • thy·roid·less, adjective
  • an·ti·thy·roid, adjective, noun
  • post·thy·roi·dal, adjective
  • pre·thy·roid, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for thyroid

thyroid

/ (ˈθaɪrɔɪd) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to the thyroid gland

  2. of or relating to the largest cartilage of the larynx

noun
  1. Also: thyroid extract the powdered preparation made from the thyroid gland of certain animals, used to treat hypothyroidism

Origin of thyroid

1
C18: from New Latin thyroidēs, from Greek thureoeidēs, from thureos oblong (literally: door-shaped) shield, from thura door

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for thyroid

thyroid

[ (theye-royd) ]


A large gland in the neck that functions in the endocrine system. The thyroid secretes hormones that regulate growth and metabolism.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.