thyroid gland: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical/Medical, Academic, Everyday (in health contexts)
Quick answer
What does “thyroid gland” mean?
A large endocrine gland in the neck that produces hormones regulating metabolism, growth, and development.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A large endocrine gland in the neck that produces hormones regulating metabolism, growth, and development.
The term can refer to the gland itself, its function, or conditions and medical procedures related to it. In broader contexts, it can symbolise metabolic health or hormonal balance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling follows regional conventions (e.g., 'analyse thyroid function' vs. 'analyze thyroid function').
Connotations
Identical technical/medical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally frequent in medical and general health discourse in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “thyroid gland” in a Sentence
The thyroid gland secretes [hormones].[Doctors] monitored her thyroid gland.He was diagnosed with [cancer] of the thyroid gland.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “thyroid gland” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The surgeon will thyroidectomise the patient tomorrow.
American English
- The surgeon will perform a thyroidectomy tomorrow.
adjective
British English
- She is on long-term thyroid medication.
- He has a thyroid condition.
American English
- She is on thyroid medication.
- He has a thyroid issue.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in pharmaceutical, healthcare, or insurance contexts.
Academic
Common in medical, biological, and health science texts.
Everyday
Used in discussions of personal health, doctor visits, and wellness.
Technical
The standard term in anatomy, endocrinology, and clinical medicine.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “thyroid gland”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “thyroid gland”
- Misspelling as 'thryoid' or 'thryroid'.
- Incorrect pronunciation: /ˈθɪ.rɔɪd/ instead of /ˈθaɪ.rɔɪd/.
- Using 'thyroid' as an adjective for other glands (e.g., 'thyroid pancreas' is wrong).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In everyday and many medical contexts, 'thyroid' is used as a shorthand for 'thyroid gland'. However, in precise anatomical writing, 'thyroid gland' is preferred to distinguish it from the thyroid cartilage or thyroid artery.
It is located in the front of the neck, just below the Adam's apple (larynx), and has two lobes connected by an isthmus.
Common disorders include hypothyroidism (underactive), hyperthyroidism (overactive), goitre (enlargement), thyroiditis (inflammation), and thyroid nodules or cancer.
Yes, but you must take daily synthetic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine) medication for life to replace the hormones the gland would produce.
A large endocrine gland in the neck that produces hormones regulating metabolism, growth, and development.
Thyroid gland is usually technical/medical, academic, everyday (in health contexts) in register.
Thyroid gland: in British English it is pronounced /ˈθaɪ.rɔɪd ˌɡlænd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈθaɪ.rɔɪd ˌɡlænd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SHIELD-shaped gland (from its Greek root) in your neck that acts like a body's THERMOSTAT, regulating metabolic speed.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE BODY'S THERMOSTAT / A CHEMICAL PACEMAKER
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of the thyroid gland?