ADRENAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does adrenal mean? 

• ADRENAL (noun)
  The noun ADRENAL has 1 sense:

1. either of a pair of complex endocrine glands situated near the kidney

  Familiarity information: ADRENAL used as a noun is very rare.

• ADRENAL (adjective)
  The adjective ADRENAL has 2 senses:

1. of or pertaining to the adrenal glands or their secretions

2. near the kidneys

  Familiarity information: ADRENAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ADRENAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Either of a pair of complex endocrine glands situated near the kidney

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

adrenal; adrenal gland; suprarenal gland

Hypernyms ("adrenal" is a kind of...):

ductless gland; endocrine; endocrine gland (any of the glands of the endocrine system that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream)

Meronyms (parts of "adrenal"):

adrenal cortex (the cortex of the adrenal gland; secretes corticosterone and sex hormones)

adrenal medulla (the medulla of the adrenal gland; secretes epinephrine)

Holonyms ("adrenal" is a part of...):

kidney (either of two bean-shaped excretory organs that filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them and water in urine)

Derivation:

adrenal (of or pertaining to the adrenal glands or their secretions)

• ADRENAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or pertaining to the adrenal glands or their secretions

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

adrenal gland (either of a pair of complex endocrine glands situated near the kidney)

Derivation:

adrenal (either of a pair of complex endocrine glands situated near the kidney)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Near the kidneys

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

kidney (either of two bean-shaped excretory organs that filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them and water in urine)

 Context examples 

A rare, genetic disorder that affects the endocrine glands and can cause tumors in the thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, and adrenal glands.

(MEN2, NCI Dictionary)

A benign neoplasm that can arise from any of the adrenal cortical layers.

(Adrenal Cortex Adenoma, NCI Thesaurus)

It may also cause benign (noncancerous) tumors in the parathyroid glands and adrenal glands.

(MEN2A, NCI Dictionary)

It may also cause benign (noncancerous) tumors in the adrenal glands and growths around the nerves in the lips, tongue, lining of the mouth, and eyelids.

(MEN2B, NCI Dictionary)

A carcinoma that has spread to the adrenal medulla from an adjacent or distant anatomic site.

(Metastatic Carcinoma to the Adrenal Medulla, NCI Thesaurus)

A carcinoma that has spread to the adrenal cortex from an adjacent or distal anatomic site.

(Metastatic Carcinoma to the Adrenal Cortex, NCI Thesaurus)

A carcinoma arising from the adrenal cortical cells.

(Adrenal Cortex Adenocarcinoma, NCI Thesaurus)

The outer layer of the adrenal gland.

(Adrenal cortex, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A clinical finding about one or more characteristics of adrenal cancer, following the rules of the TNM AJCC v7 classification system as they pertain to distant metastases.

(Adrenal Cancer Clinical Distant Metastasis TNM Finding v7, NCI Thesaurus)

Adrenal cancer that starts in the center of the adrenal gland is called malignant pheochromocytoma.

(Adrenal cancer, NCI Dictionary)