thyroid

thyroid
\ \ [18] The thyroid glands are situated in the neck, and they get their name ultimately from a comparison of the shape of the large oblong cartilage in front of the throat (which includes the Adam’s apple) with that of a door. The word comes via early modern French thyroide from Greek thuroidésdoor-shaped’, an alteration of thureoeidés, which was derived from thúrādoor’ (a relative of English door). The term khóndros thureoiedés, literally ‘door-shaped cartilage’, was used by the Greek physician Galen for the ‘cartilage in front of the throat’ (now known in English as the thyroid cartilage).
\ \ Cf.DOOR, FOREIGN

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Thyroid — Thy roid, a. [Gr. qyreoeidh s shield shaped; qyreo s a large, oblong shield (from qy ra a door) + e i^dos form: cf. F. thyro[ i]de, thyr[ e]o[ i]de.] 1. Shaped like an oblong shield; shield shaped; as, the thyroid cartilage. [1913 Webster] 2.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • thyroid — UK [ˈθaɪrɔɪd] / US [ˈθaɪˌrɔɪd] or thyroid gland UK / US noun [countable] Word forms thyroid : singular thyroid plural thyroids Word forms thyroid gland : singular thyroid gland plural thyroid glands medical an organ in your neck that produces… …   English dictionary

  • thyroid — [thī′roid΄] adj. [ModL thyroides < Gr thyreoeidēs, shield shaped < thyreos, large shield, door shaped shield < thyra,DOOR + eidēs, OID] 1. designating or of a large ductless gland lying in front and on either side of the trachea and… …   English World dictionary

  • thyroid — (adj.) 1690s (in reference to both the cartilage and the gland), from Gk. thyreoiedes shield shaped (in khondros thyreoiedes shield shaped cartilage, used by Galen to describe the Adam s apple in the throat), from thyreos oblong, door shaped… …   Etymology dictionary

  • thyroid — ► NOUN (also thyroid gland) ▪ a large gland in the neck which secretes hormones regulating growth and development through the rate of metabolism. ORIGIN from Greek khondros thureoeid s shield shaped cartilage …   English terms dictionary

  • Thyroid — Infobox Anatomy Name = Thyroid Latin = glandula thyroidea GraySubject = 272 GrayPage = 1269 Caption = Endocrine system Caption2 = Thyroid and parathyroid. Precursor = 4th Branchial pouch System = endocinal jubachina system Artery = superior… …   Wikipedia

  • Thyroid — An adjective and a noun, pertaining to the thyroid gland or, less often today, to a preparation made of mammalian thyroid tissue to treat hypothyroidism. For example, the sentence My thyroid is not making enough thyroid hormone uses thyroid… …   Medical dictionary

  • thyroid — I. adjective also thyroidal Etymology: New Latin thyroides, from Greek thyreoeidēs shield shaped, thyroid, from thyreos shield shaped like a door, from thyra door more at door Date: circa 1741 1. a. of, relating to, or being the thyroid gland b.… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • thyroid — thyroidal, adj. thyroidless, adj. /thuy royd/, adj. 1. of or pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. of or pertaining to the largest cartilage of the larynx, forming the projection known in humans as the Adam s apple. n. 3. See thyroid gland. 4. the… …   Universalium

  • thyroid — /ˈθaɪrɔɪd / (say thuyroyd) adjective 1. denoting or relating to the thyroid gland. 2. denoting or relating to the principal cartilage of the larynx, forming the projection known in men as the Adam s apple. –noun 3. → thyroid gland. 4. the thyroid …  

  • thyroid — n. & adj. n. (in full thyroid gland) 1 a large ductless gland in the neck of vertebrates secreting a hormone which regulates growth and development through the rate of metabolism. 2 an extract prepared from the thyroid gland of animals and used… …   Useful english dictionary

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