Pituitary

//pɪˈtuɪˌtɛɹi// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The pituitary gland.
  2. 2
    the master gland of the endocrine system; located at the base of the brain wordnet
  3. 3
    The pituitary gland together with the pituitary stalk.
  4. 4
    An extract from the pituitary gland.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of or relating to the pituitary gland. not-comparable
  2. 2
    Mucous. not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    of or relating to the pituitary gland wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
hypophysishypophysispituitalpituitary bodypituitary glandpituitous

Example

More examples

"Hypophysitis is an inflammation of the pituitary gland."

Etymology

1610s, from Latin pītuītārius (“mucous”), from pītuīta (“clammy moisture, phlegm, mucus, slime”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *peyH- (“to be fat, swell”). Taken as the name for the gland because it was believed that it channeled mucus to the nose. As a noun by 1899.

Related phrases

anterior pituitaryhypothalamic-pituitary-adrenalhypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axishypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocorticalpituitary bodypituitary glandpituitary glandpituitary gland

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.