Definition of "gland" []

• A cell, a group of cells, or an organ that produces a secretion for use elsewhere in the body or in a body cavity or for elimination from the body. (noun)
• Any of various organs, such as lymph nodes, that resemble true glands but perform a nonsecretory function. (noun)
• Botany An organ or a structure that secretes a substance. (noun)
• A device, such as the outer sleeve of a stuffing box, designed to prevent a fluid from leaking past a moving machine part. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "OUR PANCREAS DUCTLESS GLANDS The word "gland" comes from the Latin word for acorn, and originally it was applied to small scraps of tissue in the body which seemed acomlike in shape or size."
• "Analysis of this influence on the gland is an extremely intricate matter and one that requires much time."
• "We now know that this gland is a vital organ, whose total removal in experimental animals infallibly causes death within the course of a few days or weeks."